


Tridania

by Galaxy_demon_child (Lopez_custom)



Series: Tridania Trilogy [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Apocalypse, Asexual Character, Attempt at Humor, Bad Flirting, Bisexual Female Character, Bisexual Male Character, Canon LGBTQ Character, Complete, Daddy Issues, Enemies to Friends, Friendship, Future, Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Character of Color, LGBTQ Female Character, Mommy Issues, No Romance, One Big Happy Family, Original Character(s), Post-Apocalypse, Science Fiction, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:22:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 39,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26324836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lopez_custom/pseuds/Galaxy_demon_child
Summary: Allana Starwell is a rich girl from Saint City.After her father breaks the news to her that she has been put into an arranged marriage, she runs away.Instead of taking the train to Fairhope, the middle class city full of people, she accidently ends up in Devil Town, an apocalyptic looking city that belongs to the low class.She fears the dangers she could face but instead meets a city full of fun people that only want to thrive again.The disappearance of the heir to the 'throne' of Saint City causes panic and thus leads to the chaos of Saint City and Devil Town.
Series: Tridania Trilogy [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1912837





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Payton E, J'leah R, K'ryn M, and a few lovely others for letting me use their characters and helping with plot, animals, monsters, and lots of other stuff in this book. 
> 
> This book is in the works but should be updated quickly as we are constantly working on it and developing it.   
> (We have a second book planned out as well but we have to finish this one first haha)
> 
> If you're reading this, thank you for taking interest! 
> 
> And I hope you enjoy

_Welcome to Tridania._

_It is the year 2050, 7 years after S.E.O.T.W. or the Sorta End Of The World._

_With the influx of sickness and disease, climate change and littering, and natural disasters, everything just fell apart._

_Our world basically ended. Full apocalyptic style end._

_A huge chunk of the population was lost._

_But, our government somehow managed to save a few thousand people. Maybe 6,000 people at most. 4,000 at least._

_To try and keep these remaining citizens alive, the government launched a project they had been working on for years._

_They had managed to get a few sections of destroyed land and made them float! Two large cities were made to float above the ruins of the Earth. Not far enough to leave the atmosphere but you definitely could not jump from these platform cities without a couple broken bones._

_The few country leaders that were left banded together to make these floating cities possible._

_These two cities were called Saint City and Fairhope._

_The high class lived in Saint City. Scientists, government officials, politicians, they all lived in Saint City._

_It is named Saint City after the amount of religious people that live up there as well as how the shiny, tall buildings reflect the sun to look almost like it's glowing. It emits the most heavenly light you could ever imagine._

_Their technology is amazing. Best of the best. You can't top Saint City. You get up there? You can't get any better._

_Then Fairhope._

_Fairhope is where the middle class lives. It is more populated since the term middle class has a large range._

_This city looks like what any modern big city would look like in the 2000's._

_The buildings were tall and impressive looking but not nearly as blindingly reflective and impressive as Saint City._

_Fairhope was full of color. The brightest aesthetics you could find were all up there. Fairhope had a huge job range. That was probably the most diverse area._

_Fairhope isn't the best. It isn't as amazing as Saint City but considering the fact it was filled with only middle class people, it was pretty impressive. If you made it up there, you were almost set for life._

_Now, those are the two floating cities._

_But, what about the land on Earth?_

_Was it left behind as nothing but ruin?_

_Nope._

_The land beneath the two floating cities actually held its own city:_

_Devil Town._

_This city was for those who were left behind after the S.E.O.T.W._

_This piece of land used to be a small town in Idaho called American Falls._

_The reason this area was chosen was because of the lack of damage done there. Almost the entire land was still intact. It even spread halfway out towards the next town that used to be Pocatello._

_The town was small with little people so sickness didn't spread as easy and the geographical placement of the small town wasn't at risk of wildfires or floods. They had a few earthquakes and tornadoes however._

_Due to the barren look of everything, the government hadn't bothered to check. There was no sign of life so they just ignored it._

_However, after only a couple days of their peaceful new city lives, chaos ensued as a girl, seemingly no older than 17 started to wreak havoc on the land in anger._

_She was furious to know that her city had been ignored._

_Abandoned._

_So, her and her little gang of demons thrust fury upon Saint City._

_Fire lit up the cities within hours. Glass littered the streets. Embers burned for days. Smog and smoke filled the air so much it felt as though it'd never be rid of._

_To settle the angered girl, the leader of Saint City made a deal with her._

_They would help their land thrive again. They would make the town of ex-American Falls livable once again with buildings, food, water._

_They would make it livable again._

_She agreed._

_It took awhile but they were able to build up American Falls back to the way it was. It looked almost the way it was before the S.E.O.T.W. But, with the wrecked land and dusty looking air, it looked like an abandoned city in a video game._

_The gang and the rest of their small town peers turned the land into what we now know as Devil Town._

_Thus the beginning of the region named,_

_Tridania._


	2. ~1~

**Allana**

The feeling of some warm textured thing was brushing against my cheek. It was warm and wet. It didn't take much longer for me to figure out that it was my giant dog licking my face.

"Ack! Stop! Stop! I'm up, I'm up!" I groggily squealed, tossing around underneath the giant beast of fluff named Frost. My dog.

In Saint City we have these ginormous wolves called Saint Wolves. They are usually used for protection and guarding the edges of town to keep anybody from accidentally falling off the edge or from causing any problems in our city.

"Frost, I didn't ask for a wake up call." I sighed, a small smile forcing its way onto my face as I ruffled up the fluff on the sides of his face. He seemed happy for the attention and didn't notice the slight agitation in my voice. I couldn't stay mad at him.

I got Frost when I was six. Most households have a Saint Wolf or something in their homes for protection. A majority of people that live here in Saint City are only high class because they have really high paying jobs, but unfortunately lots of work hours. Tridania may seem very developed, but we are still trying to develop our Earth back the way it once was. Because everybody is always working, kids are often left alone. Saint City kids do their schooling online since most teachers are middle class. Middle class teachers teach the Saint City kids online, while they teach the Fairhope kids in person. The Saint Wolves have been, in a way, modified in the least abusive way possible. Scientists created a highly effective steroid for wolves that makes them a whole lot stronger and practically doubled their sizes. It did make them a bit more aggressive so they had to go through some extensive training but, although it took awhile, it was so worth it. We now have probably the best guard dogs and pets in the entirety of Tridania.

Along with protecting the kids in their homes, Saint Wolves also hang around the edges of town to make sure that nobody accidentally falls off the edge of the city.

To keep the sort of aesthetic in Saint City, they never put any type of fencing around it. They are working on a sort of forcefield around the land to keep everybody safe from falling and keep any treacherous monsters out.

"Alright buddy, as much as I love giving you cuddles, I need to start the day so could you like..." I motioned to the side with my head which was enough for him. He pushed himself up off my lap and hopped off my tall, squishy bed and sat on the floor. I pulled myself out of bed, my long white nightgown dropping down to hand around my ankles as I walked over to my closet, opening the double doors and looking over all the outfits that were hanging up.

"BB, please play my morning mix." I spoke into my watch.

A familiar, blue tinted face appeared on my watch screen along with a feminine voice.

"Of course, Miss Starwell." The somewhat robotic voice replied before the familiar sound of calming instrumental music filled my room from the speakers that hung in the corners of my room, barely visible with all my other decorations that littered the walls and shelves.

I stepped into the closet, my lights turning on after detecting my movement in the room. There were so many outfits hung up but it was pretty difficult trying to identify a certain outfit among them all. Every dress, skirt, shirt and pantsuit just all blended with each other due to the lack of color in them. The colors ranged from a pale white to an off white to a bright, glittery silver. There was a sort of dress code in Saint City that made it so everybody wore white or silver. It was to show the other cities that Saint City was the boss. Saint City was peerless. We had the superior technology, superior homes, jobs, people. It looked nice, but could get a little boring for people that weren't like this before the S.E.O.T.W.

I hummed along to the sound of the instrumental music. I listen to this playlist practically every morning. Some songs, more so than others. It has gotten to the point where I have some fully memorized and hum them in my sleep.

My long fingers trailed along the soft fabrics of my clothes as I roamed down the walk-in closet, trying to determine what I'd wear today.

I stopped at a random point and flipped through a few close-by outfits, settling on a white, sleeveless pantsuit. It was one of my favorites. The dresses are nice, but sometimes pants are just more comfortable.

I pulled the pantsuit off with the hanger and laid it out on my bed.

I dug around even further in my closet, looking for a pair of shoes to go with it, settling on some comfy flats.

After laying out the suit and shoes and picking out a few bracelets and rings to go along with it, I decided to take a quick bath.

I pulled my nightgown up and over my head, making sure not to unpin my hair yet as I pulled it off and hung it up on my door to wear later.

I opened the small cabinet like door against the wall, revealing the small control panel that lay beneath it. I pressed one of the buttons to fill the tub with water then fill it with soap. I glanced over at the tub as the faucet started pouring water and soap simultaneously.

Once it finished filling up I turned off the faucet and slipped under the water.

"BB, could you tell me my schedule for today? If I have one that is?" I asked, watching as a small simulation came up from my watch.

The projection showed a woman, probably in her 20's to her 30's sitting on the edge of my large bathtub, one leg crossed over the other and a laptop in her lap. She had on a simple white button down shirt with a silver vest over it that matched her fancy, dress pants. Her hair was short and barely brushed over her shoulders but was thick with huge, kinky curls that framed her face well. . It was hard to tell what color her skin and hair were due to the simulation only coming in shades of blue, but she seemed to have dark skin with light hair and pale eyes.

I didn't mind the fact that it seemed a strange woman was now in my bathroom with me because 1)this simulation wasn't looking at me anyways, 2)the bubbles in the bathtub were big enough to fully cover anything and 3) this simulation wasn't a stranger to me. This was BB. My sort of assistant-on-the-go.

This woman exists; she isn't just a simulation as I keep referring to her as. She works in some office here in Saint City to be my assistant in a way.

Some lower class citizens might wonder, 'How can she be your 24/7 assistant if she isn't just some false simulation? Doesn't she need sleep? Food? Water?' and let me say, yes, she does. Our schedules line up almost perfectly since she's been my assistant since I was about 13. She wakes when I do, she eats lunch and dinner when I do and when I rest, so does she. Well, she usually sleeps a bit later than I do so she can do anything else she didn't have the time to do when she was busy with me. But, besides that our schedules are practically the same.

BB is almost like an aunt to me. One of those sassy aunts that will tell you how it is but also takes care of you better than you would expect someone like her to.

"Absolutely Miss Starwell." She said, blowing a thick strand of her hair out of her face, making it fall back out of her face.

"Well, it doesn't look like you have much scheduled for today." She stated after a moment of looking over her computer screen. She made a small clicking sound with her tongue as she read over the screen a few more times.

"Oh course." I sighed. Considering the fact that I'm apparently supposed to look after Saint City when I 'm older I don't really get much prep for it. I have some classes but not really. Sure, I was smart in school before the S.E.O.T.W but not that smart.

"Oh! Wait." BB interrupted my train of thought when she suddenly spoke again. She leaned forward to look more at her screen before throwing a small glance my way.

"It seems that your parents have something very important going on today for you." She said.

That statement sounded very vague so I decided to pry a bit.

"Really? What might it be?" I asked, sitting up a bit straighter as I poured some shampoo in my hands and started working the cool substance into my long brown hair.

"Well, as much as I'd love to tell you that, it doesn't say. It just says to make sure you go down to breakfast as soon as possible so they could discuss something with you. " BB explained, using one of her long nails to lightly scratch at her jawline. That was something I had noticed she did often when she was either bored or thinking.

"Hmm..Interesting." The thought of my parents having to discuss something with me made me feel a lot more anxious than it probably should.

My parents are often working. Well, my father is often working. I'm not too sure about my mother.

"Don't sound so nervous, Miss Starwell. You'll be fine. You always are." BB said, giving me one of her signature smirks.

I couldn't help but smile back.

"Thank you, BB. You're the best." I sighed.

"I know I am." She laughed before turning her projection off, leaving me alone again.

After finishing my bath and getting dressed I made my way downstairs, dreading the conversation that I am inevitably going to have with my parents.

I ceased my walk down the stairs once I reached the end and looked out the large window that was at the end of the grand staircase.

I used to look out this window for hours upon hours in pure awe. I was around 13 or 14. I was technically a teenager but I still always was just so amazed by how magical our city was. It was so bright and big and beautiful. I always thought the big cities when I was little were impressive but this...

'One day this will all be yours.' My father used to say to me, He still says that to me whenever he's not working. But I often wonder if I ever will be able to lead Saint City. Sure, from what I've seen, his job isn't that hard, but it involves a lot of responsibility and if something bad were to happen to Saint City, I'd have to deal with it. What if I do the wrong thing? What if I end up being the reason for the fall of our great city?!

I groan and shake my head, trying to ignore those thoughts. I shouldn't worry about that right now. I should worry more about the conversation I'm about to have with my parents.

A small sigh passed my lips as I played with the excess hair at the end of my long braid before tossing it back over my shoulder.

I straightened my shoulders, took a deep breath and with as much confidence as I could muster, strutted down the hall and into the dining room where my parents were currently sitting and discussing something amongst themselves.

Upon my entrance, they both paused the conversation to look up at me.

"Ah, there she is. Good morning, Allana." My father greeted, his light brown hair brushed and gelled back. Not gelled up enough to have that crust, hard texture, but enough to keep it back without it looking like a piece of plastic on his head while my mother had her long, dirty blonde hair in a neat bun on her head with a sparkly band holding it together.

My parents were both somewhat young, only being in their 40's, but you could see how stress and work had aged my father over the years. The natural wrinkles in his forehead and cheeks were a lot deeper than some of the others. Then again, my father was always very expressive. My mother on the other hand still looked to be in her 20's. She was always very careful not to be too expressive like my father, in fear of developing wrinkles early.

My father had always been a lot more charismatic than my mother. My father was friendly and easy to talk to in a business setting while my mother was intimidating and serious but also very convincing. You do not want to go head to head with these people. No matter what you do or how hard you try, you'll lose. It's almost like they have some power to change your ideas and beliefs to match with their own. That's what made talking to them so much more intimidating.

"Good morning, father." I replied, giving him a small smile before taking my seat at the table across from him.

On the plate in front of me laid fluffy pancakes, fresh berries, crispy bacon and some poached eggs along with some sweet juice. The sight of it made my stomach slightly growl.

I happily picked up my utensils and started to dig in as my parents continued to speak amongst themselves, occasionally throwing glances my way. It made me anxious, listening to their quiet whispers and feeling their eyes on me, but I did my best to ignore it as I ate my breakfast.

I occasionally would glance over at Frost as he ate in his own little corner of the kitchen, ruthlessly tearing apart his chunk of meat.

Finally, my attention was pulled back to my parents as my father cleared his throat in a way that made it clear he was trying to get my attention.

"Allana, as you know, you are reaching the wonderful age of 20 soon. Are you excited?" He asked, folding his hands and resting them on the table as he leaned forward to look at me.

"Well, of course. But, it isn't that soon, father. I still have a couple months." I chuckled, lightly shrugging. Maybe this isn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. Maybe he just wanted to know what I wanted to do for my birthday. My father loves to go all out when planning my birthday, but, of course, that means planning early to make sure everything is prepared and ready for my actual birthday when it does show up. Hopefully that's all this 'super serious conversation' is about.

"Well still, you must be very excited. That means you get to start coming to work with me to learn about leading Saint City." He said, sounding a lot more cheerful than I would have wanted.

"Oh...yes, of course." I said, trying to hide the fact that that statement had almost made me choke on a piece of my pancake.

"However, we have something that we must discuss. It is quite important and it does regard you when you take over Saint City." He said, clearing his throat once again. He adjusted his silvery tie before leaning forward to the table again. I remained silent, waiting for him to go on with what he was saying.

"Well, I realized that you don't have much practice in my line of business. I also realized that you don't seem much interested in taking over Saint City when the time comes."

This statement makes me blush. I was sure that whenever he brought up my destined future job, I hid my anxieties well. But, it appears I was wrong.

"Of course, that normally wouldn't be a good thing. I wouldn't want to give you a job that you aren't happy with, my dear, but we really don't have much of a choice but to put you in charge when the time comes." He said.

"But, I do believe we found a sort of solution to this issue."

"What is it?" I asked, perking up in my chair.

"Well, I believe the best way to keep our family name as the leaders of Saint City and keep you comfortable with this new title, would be to have you marry the Kim family's son, Dae." He said.

My brain almost completely shut down at that statement.

Did he really say what I think he just said?

"Wait....What?!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Wait, wait, you're getting married?!" Erika screeched, hopping up and sitting on the counter.

"Yeah." I sighed, my fingers trailing over my book. I had come over to try and cool off and just read my book about a demon and an angel living through the years but, of course, Erika just had to notice how tense I was and had to ask.

Erika is my best friend so I couldn't possibly say no to her.

So, I told her about what my parents said. I explained how I used the time I was supposed to be getting ready to sneak out here. My parents don't pay enough attention to know any different.

That leads to where we are right now, Erika sitting up on the front counter and me sat down on a bench beside it.

Erika works at a clothing store called 'Better You' that I often come over to hang out at when it isn't super busy. Most people don't have much time to shop here in Saint City since, again, most people work a lot. Of course, there is the occasional trophy wife or rich daughters that love to come by and shop, but they take forever and Erika has gotten used to checking them out fast so there really is no problem for us to hang out while she works. A majority of people up in Saint City live for their work. A majority of them are also men, so the few people that come around are any women that aren't here because of their work.

"Wait, Wait, so you like, didn't know till today?" Erika asked, shifting her knee length skirt to sit criss cross on the counter, her blonde hair falling over her shoulder.

"No!" I exclaimed, my hands automatically flying up into the air to emphasize my reaction.

"They told me during breakfast! They brought up the whole situation," I switched my voice into something deeper and more masculine sounding to try and mimic my father. " 'You're going to be the leader soon. You must be prepared.' or whatever." I sighed.

"Well, I guess you knew that you were going to have to take over this place eventually," Erika sighed, sounding just as disappointed as I am.

"Well, yeah, but I thought he was going to, I don't know, train me a whole bunch then make me the leader, not set me up with some random guy I don't even know! They didn't even tell me his name! They just said he was a part of the Kim family." I sighed, hopping off the counter and slouching back against the back wall.

"Wait, Kim? As in, Kim Daesung? Dude, that was that one really rich Korean guy in our private school before we were here in Saint City." Erika said, turning so she was facing me again.

My brain seemed to disconnect from the wi-fi or something for a minute as I tried to think of who she was talking about right now. After probably a whole minute and a half of thinking, it hit me.

"Oh my god, him?!" I asked, suddenly standing straight again.

"I don't know! I think so." She said, shrugging her shoulder in an over dramatic fashion.

I groaned and slid down the wall till I was sitting on the floor like a pouting child.

"Hey." Erika sighed, hopping off the counter and sitting next to me, her arm slipping around my shoulders comfortably.

"You'll be alright. You have survived the end of the world, you can survive dating some jackass like Dae." Erika said, lightly ruffling my hair.

I sighed and nodded, leaning against her shoulder for a minute. I really didn't want to leave yet but I knew I had to eventually.

After hanging out with Erika for a while I eventually convinced myself to head home. It couldn't be that bad, right?


	3. ~2~

**Ryder**

  
The sound of small squawks and a thump against the wall pulled me from my sleep.

I felt myself slowly waking up, but I really wish I didn't have to

I probably would have fallen back to sleep if it weren't for another thump hitting my door.

I groaned in annoyance before, quite literally, rolling out of bed.

"Alex! If you're throwing things at the birds again I swear to god!" I called my roommate, my voice groggy and scratchy.

"Well, it's not my fault that they're in my room in the first place!" He called back, his words muffled by the wall separating our rooms.

I couldn't hold back my childish nature and made a mocking tone to him, sticking my tongue out at the wall as if he could see me.

He may not have seen me, but he definitely heard me. He made the exact same mocking sound towards me, making me slightly grin. Even though Alex was 18, he could be just as childish as me, and I'm barely 17!

I sighed and slipped my hand under my bed, feeling around for my leather boots as I let my eyes rest closed. Sure, I usually wake up at around 6 or 7 every morning, but some mornings I would rather stay in bed and just sleep in a couple extra hours.

I felt around the cold, wooden floor until I finally felt the familiar feeling of cool leather. I grabbed the first boot and pulled it from beneath my bed, finding the other matching boot quite quickly.

I pulled the right one on then went to pull on the left but stopped when I heard a small squawk from my boot.

My eyes opened almost instantly and I looked down at my boot, momentarily surprised at the sound before realizing what it was.

One of the many puffball birds here in Devil Town.

After the S.E.O.T.W there were lots of animals leftover, surprisingly.

The animals that survived were either mutated and updated further to be placed up in Fairhope and Saint City, while the others were left in Devil Town.

Usually, the stronger or more intelligent ones were taken up to Saint City and Fairhope to protect the citizens or help with day to day tasks.

The rest of them, including any failed mutations, were left down here, even though some of the animals down here were quite intelligent as well.

Well, some of them.

These guys, not so much.

These little guys we call puffball birds. The birds don't grow a lot. They reach about the size of a really big kiwi or a small cantaloupe. They are white and fluffy, similar to cotton balls. They are too small and heavy to fly so they usually just waddle around, occasionally rolling around when they're trying to 'run'.

I chuckled at the sight of the small bird, hiding in my boot.

These birds love to break into random houses and just get comfortable wherever it's warm.

"Listen, you're very cute, but can you please get out of my shoe?" I asked, lightly chuckling as the bird's deep black eyes stared up at me. The bird makes a small squawk then shuffles out of my boot and onto the floor.

Once I make sure my shoe doesn't have any other critters in it, I slip it on and get up off the floor.

I adjust my braid, slightly mussed up from my chaotic sleeping habits as I walk out of my room, leaning into Alex's room.

The teen boy was practically fast asleep already, his brown, medium length hair scattered over his eyes and his blankets halfway off the bed.

I rolled my eyes, feeling the slight strain in the back of my eyes at the intensity of the roll.

I kneeled down to pick up the shoes Alex tossed into the hallway before throwing one back at him, hitting his back and making him hop up, suddenly wide awake.

"C'mon, lazy. We gotta go. You have work, remember?" I reminded him, walking a few steps down the hall to retrieve my fingerless gloves from the desk.

I slipped the brown gloves onto my hands as I walked back over to my roommates room to see if he was even trying to get up.

He was sitting up, but was still slowly trying to wake up, his back slouched and his fingers scratching at his neck and face.

"C'mon get up, we're going to Tim's first." I told him, knowing for a fact that that would tempt Alex to get up.

Just like I suspected, Alex's eyes opened up and he looked up at me, making a smirk spread across my face.

He stared at me for no more than a few seconds before groaning overdramatically.

"Fine, fine. I'll get up." He groaned, throwing his blankets off, still only clad in his boxers and some socks.

Alex was fairly attractive. Well, okay, he's really attractive. He's tall, about 5'9' and full of muscle.

Alex has always been into sports, especially football. He spends a majority of his free time either sleeping, eating or playing some sport. He's basically like any teenage boy. He looks around my age even though he's two years older.

He's light skinned, but so is a big majority of people in Devil Town. Devil Town doesn't get much sunlight anymore so we don't exactly tan easily.

The point is, Alex is a very attractive boy.

Alex is also very flirty. He uses a majority of his energy to flirt it seems. He flirts with anything that breathes basically.

"Make sure you actually put some pants on this time. I wouldn't be surprised if you just walked out with no pants." I teased, laughing at the deadpanned look he gave me before closing the door and going out into the main room to grab my button up shirt, slipping the dingy blue colored shirt on and tying the bottom of it around my waist, meeting the top of my high-waisted jeans.

Alex worked at a clothing store here in Devil Town. Pretty much the only clothing store we have. We have a couple other stores that sell clothes but not primarily.

The store he works at is called 'Denim Town', a sort of play on words on our city name. As the name suggests, they sell a lot of denim, but they also sell some other stuff like leather. Devil Town gets cold a lot easier than the other cities so we often wear heavier clothes like denim and leather.

I don't exactly work one job, but as the leader of Devil Town, I often spend my days checking on everyone in town and usually working at one of the stores or not. Sometimes I stop by and help Alex at the store. Sometimes I stop by the bakery and help the family there. I usually stop by at the engineer's place and help him with cars and junk. We really don't use cars down here anymore since they take so much work to get working and fixed up and since the city is so small, we usually just walk everywhere. But, we do work on some cars for people that need to do deliveries and have a lot to carry around to make their lives easier.

Tim, the guy I mentioned earlier, is kind of like my older brother. He's currently 20-21 or something like that. He's the apothecary here in Devil Town. He was really smart with medicine and first aid so it only made sense for him to be the local doctor basically.

Alex loves to flirt with him so that's why I used him as a way to convince him to get up.

I hummed as I adjusted my sleeves, rolling up the sleeves to my elbows then leaning back against the door, waiting for Alex to get ready. I could only hope that Alex didn't take too long to get ready. Alex takes longer to get ready than I do. Then again, I sleep with half my clothes on while Alex sleeps with almost no clothes on.

I tap my foot as I await for Alex.

After what feels like forever, but probably only five minutes, Alex emerges from his room, pulling his black beanie on over his messy, dark hair.

His pastel pink hoodie and dark, ripped jeans looked a bit dirty and probably should get washed soon.

"Finally. I swear I could feel myself slowly deteriorating into the floor." I over exaggerated, laughing at the bored look he gave me.

"Yeah, yeah whatever let's go. I need some of Tim's coffee." He said, slipping his strong hands into his pockets and stepping outside.

Once we stepped outside, we were off to Tim's house.

The bell above the door, jingled as I stepped into Tim's familiar Apothecary shop.

"Tim!" I called, jumping back at the sound of a loud squawk by my feet.

"Sorry, Tiny. You really need to stop sleeping by the door." I said, stepping over the tall, flamingo like bird in front of the door, his dark, dusty blue bird feathers ruffling with frustration as he curled back up a bit farther away from the door.

"Tim!" I called to him, blowing a few strands of hair from my eyes as I glanced around the dimly lit 'Red River Apothecary' shop.

"Yeah, Yeah, I'm coming, hold on." I heard Tim's annoyed voice respond from the back room of his shop.

I walked up the wooden counter and rested my arms against it, leaning forward and tapping my fingers against the hollow desk.

Tim emerged from his backroom with three mugs. One filled with a steamy liquid that could only be Tim's signature coffee, and two empty ones.

I have no idea what he puts in it, but it gives you a lot of energy and is super sweet but not disgustingly sweet, ya know? It's probably just sugar but still, it works really well. Coffee usually doesn't wake me up, but his does so Alex and I drop by here first almost everyday to get some before getting to work.

Tim sighed as he placed the mugs down onto the desk, tossing back a chunk of his messy, black hair back out of his face, his white button down shirt sleeves shifting around his arms.

"I'm assuming you're here for the coffee?" He asked in a monotone voice that could only be interpreted as "I hate life and don't want to be here right now."

"Well of course." I laughed. "I'm assuming you haven't drank any of your coffee based on how dead inside you sound right now." I commented, chuckling at the way he rolled his eyes at me.

"No. For once, you guys decided to come in at the time you're supposed to instead of an hour later so I haven't had enough to kick in yet. My energy is extremely low." He said, staring me down for a couple seconds before turning back to grab the pot of coffee from the back.

He brought out the steamy pot of coffee and poured some into the two mugs then slid it across the desk to me and Alex.

"Thanks." I hummed, taking a small sip of it.

"Thank you, Tim." Alex said, suddenly sounding way more energetic. "May I just say, you look very handsome today, but then again when don't you?" Alex asked, trying to look smooth while taking a sip of his coffee. He must have forgotten that the coffee was hot because you could see his eyes widen a bit and hear a small somewhat choked sound come from him after he drank from the white mug.

Tim stared at him blankly before looking at me.

"Do you have to bring him around every time?" Tim asked.

While Alex absolutely loves flirting with Tim, Tim gets annoyed with it very easily. Tim is Ace/Aro. He basically had no interest at all in romance or sexual interaction. He only really tolerates Alex's flirting because he does like Alex as a friend and physically couldn't tell him to bug off and be serious about it.

"Don't lie. You love me." Alex laughed, causing Tim to roll his eyes. Sometimes his eye rolls are even more dramatic than mine.

I smiled a bit as I watched the two interact with each other.

As much as I loved having these boys in my life and love living in Devil Town, sometimes I just wish that something new would happen.

Guess we'll just have to wait and see. 


	4. ~3~

**Allana**

I groaned as I slammed my door behind me harshly, slightly startling myself from how much the walls shook.

I thought the dinner would be fine but nope. I looked like a fool. That boy, Dae.

The thought of his stupid face made more anger bubble up in me.

I groaned and tugged the fancy corset style top off, leaving me in my undershirt and skirt. 

In the past, I have been taught by my father to be respectful and intelligent while my mother has always been the more, 'sit still and look pretty' type. So, I did both of those things at dinner.

The Kim family wasn't exactly bad. The parents were sweet. Well, his father at least. He was obviously a very job-oriented type of man and seemed to take a lot of pride in how he made his way to the top, but he was also still very respectful and quite kind. The mother was also kind, but seemed a bit obsessive over her son. Obsessive in the way that my mother was over her husband's accomplishments and money. 

Dae on the other hand...he was the problem. 

This boy was the cockiest person I had ever met. I usually have patience with boys that like to flirt and talk, but he was just too much. 

Then, my parents. My parents made me look like an absolute fool! Talking about me as if I was a doll or a child who couldn't speak for herself. Talking about how uniting our families would make us even more successful. That one doesn't sound that bad, but it's the way they said it and the way they all looked at me. It made it sound as if I was incapable of running a city. As if it was my fault for not knowing what I was doing! I did try! I really wanted to learn about how to do my job if I really had no choice, but my father never taught me! He barely even gives me attention anymore because of work! And I know that isn't completely his fault, but it doesn't change the fact that he basically just left me in the dark when it comes to this whole leading thing and now he's making it sound like I'm the reason. I'm the reason that we would fall to ruin if I went into leading without help and that help can only be some cocky jerk that I barely know. 

Then even worse, when I excused myself to go to my room that boy had the audacity to attempt and keep me there by grabbing me. Grabbing me! What a freak! 

What is it with people and getting all handy with 'celebrities?' I don't exactly consider myself a celebrity, but most people do because I'm the daughter of the leader. I'm a celebrity in a president or politician way instead of a singer or actor way. But that isn't the point! 

People love to get way too close and handsy with celebrities. I step out of my house for even one second and I'm suddenly swarmed with paparazzi trying to ask me questions that have no meaning! I am the daughter of the leader of Saint City for crying out loud! Why not ask me something of importance like government secrets and conspiracies? Or ask about what my father is currently working on or what I plan to do as the leader, not about meaningless things like trivia of my hobbies and preferences! 

I groaned in anger and stormed into my bathroom, slamming the door behind me and slamming my hands against the edge of the sink before looking up into the large mirror before me. 

I took a deep shaky breath before shakily exhaling, grabbing the pin that kept my long hair up in it's fancy bun and letting it go. 

I sighed as I looked at my reflection in the mirror, I could see my face was slightly flushed red from all the anger that filled me previously. 

I let my long fingers comb through my hair as I stared at my reflection in the mirror probably way too hard. 

I glanced over my extreme, glittery makeup and neat hair quickly but intensely. I've always been a part of a rich family. I've always had pretty much everything served for me. I never really had to work for anything and I've surprisingly never had many responsibilities. Not until now. But, I don't want that. Not anymore. If nobody thinks I can do these things on my own then why should I try? 

I've never done anything worth the money and respect I've earned so why do I have any of this? 

I looked over at a small caddy on my sink counter filled with hair pins, hair ties, brushes, scissors, etc.

The sight of the scissors made me pause. I've always had long hair. It was one of the many meaningless things I was admired for. I have never had any problem taking care of it. It was a part of me. My image. It was the main thing people recognized about me. 

I separated my hair, letting it split into two parts and laying them over my shoulders as I stared into the mirror. 

With a slightly shaky hand I put my hair between the blades of the scissors and with one deep breath, I shut my eyes tight and listened. Snip snip!

Once I felt no friction between my hair and the blades, I let my eyes slowly flutter open. 

My eyes widened at the sight of the sudden loss of hair on my right side. 

It looked so...odd. It didn't necessarily look bad. I actually liked it, but it was so different than my usually thick, long hair. 

With a bit less hesitation I grabbed the other part of hair and cut it too, trying to match it up with the other sides as much as possible. 

I looked down at the pile of hair that now littered the side of the sink and floor by my feet. 

I combed my fingers through my now shoulder length hair and let out a small chuckle. I don't know why I felt the need to chuckle. It just kind of forced its way out. It's probably just me going crazy. Maybe they're right. Maybe leading Saint City just isn't my thing.

Well, if that's true then I guess I see no reason in staying here.

That thought made me pause.

Leave? I could leave? Why had I never thought about that till now?!

I quickly ran out of the bathroom, not minding the piles of hair that were left piled on the floor. 

I dug around through my closet for something, anything at all that I could wear without making me stand out. Of course, I found nothing. 

Well, I guess I'm gonna have to rely on Erika for this one. 

I pressed the button on my watch, contacting B.B. again.

It took a bit longer for her to respond since it was pretty much dinner time, but she did eventually answer, her fluffy, curly hair pulled out of her face with a headband and her vest now gone. She usually gets comfortable around this time so I wasn't surprised to see her laid back in her chair, her feet propped up on her desk. 

"Woah, Allana. Love the new hair," she said nonchalantly, a small smile on her face.

"Yeah, thanks. Listen. I need your help." I said, pacing around my room. 

"Wow. Don't think I've seen you this anxious in a while. What's up?" She asked, pulling her feet off her desk and sitting up only to lean forward again.

"Well, I need a couple things from you." I sighed. "You can access the security cameras here in my home, yes?" I asked. 

The look she gave me was only of pure confusion.

"Well, uh, yeah. Why?" She asked, sounding a lot more suspicious. 

"I need you to use the cameras and see if my parents are still out in the kitchen. See if anybody is out there by the doors." I said. 

She got right to work, but that didn't stop her from questioning me. 

"Miss Starwell, what the hell are you up to?" She asked, glancing over at me before focusing on the computer before her. 

"I..." I hesitated. Do I tell her? BB has known me all my life. She's like my aunt. She's my family. How would she react when I tell her I'm running away? She could get in trouble for letting me run away. If my family finds out that she let me get away she could be in real big trouble. 

"I'm running away." I finally said, lowering my gaze to the floor. 

' "You... You what?" She asked. 

"I'm sorry. I just realized that I couldn't lead Saint City like my father would want me to. I don't want to anyways. So, why should I stay? I'll just have to marry a man I can't stand. So, I'm leaving." 

The room is suddenly silent, not counting the occasional sound of a mouse clicking or keyboard tapping. 

"Where will you go?" She asked, her voice lacking emotion. 

"Fairhope. It is crammed with people that I doubt anybody here would be able to find me easily."

She only hummed in response. 

"Everyone has left the kitchen. Nobody is blocking the door. I'm contacting somebody to give you a ride to your friend's shop. I imagine you'd like to say goodbye to her." She said. 

Her words caught me off guard, forcing me to look up at her. 

She had the faintest of smiles on her face. 

"You know, in Fairhope you need to get a job. And you most likely won't be able to contact me down there. If you do they might catch you." She said, finally looking at me instead of her computer screen. 

"You're not mad?" I asked, slightly embarrassed by the nervous tone in my voice.

"No, I'm not mad. But, I sure am gonna miss you." She said, sighing and leaning her head against her strong hands. 

"Just be careful out there, alright?" She said, looking up at me one more time.

"Of course." I replied with a sigh, my lips forming a small smile. 

"Thank you for all the help, BB. I'll always remember you as my cool aunt." I chuckled, blushing at the feeling of hot tears filling my eyes. 

"'Cool aunt,' huh? I like the sound of that." She chuckled. "Your ride is here." 

"Good luck." She said before her blue hologram disappeared. 

I sighed and quickly wiped my eyes and grabbed my bag. It was empty except for some money and makeup. I would need to get some clothes from Erika's shop. I will stand out like an angel in hell if I go to Fairhope looking like this. So I had to go see Erika. She could help me.

As quietly as I could, I rushed down the large staircase.

Nothing had changed from this morning yet everything felt so different as I hurried down the stairs and out the front door. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"Somehow I knew you were gonna show up." Erika laughed, glancing over her magazine that she seemed to be intensely looking over just a few seconds prior. She was currently in one of her odd sitting positions she always found herself in, in the front seat with her legs hanging over one arm chair and her back resting against the other. 

She closes the brightly colored magazine and tosses it onto the counter, shifting from her odd sitting position to sit up right and face me.

"Oooh, new hair? Love it!" She chuckled.

"You don't usually drop by this late for no reason. What can I do for you?" She asked, resting her crossed arms against the edge of her front desk. 

Erika was almost like a robot when she was working. She was able to put on the brightest smiles and speak in this overly peppy voice that some found a little odd and annoying, but it definitely made the customers feel more comfortable. They probably wouldn't want to shop at a store run by Erika if she acted the way she normally did. She wasn't a delinquent and she wasn't exactly rude, but she was very blunt and often just sounded bored. It made her seem a lot more real than some other people here in Saint City. 

I sighed shakily and planted my hands on the counter in front of her.

"I need your help. You are sending out fabric to Fairhope tonight, yes?" I asked. 

"Sure am. Why do you ask?" She seemed to be a tad bit confused as to why I was asking. As much as I loved Erika, I never really listened to her ramble about her job. Working in a shop selling clothes just never really appealed to me so, as selfish as it sounds, I never really tried to pay attention. That's probably why she seemed a bit confused about me asking her stuff dealing with her business. 

"You, like, pack them in big bags or something and ship them off, right?" I asked,

"Yeah, again, why do you ask?"

"Well... I need one to take me to Fairhope." I said, unintentionally lowering my voice. There didn't seem to be anyone here right now, but I won't risk it. If anyone hears where I am going they could tell my father. I know my father cares about me and because of that I know he is going to probably offer some sort of reward to anyone that can find me and get me home. 

"Fairhope? Right now? Why?" She asked, sitting up straighter.

"After the whole thing with my dad and the engagement thing I realized that I can't rule over Saint City. I'm so unprepared and I wouldn't be happy with some other man to take over for me. So, I'm running away." I explained.

"Running away?! What will your father say when he realizes you're gone!?" She exclaimed, standing up out of her seat and slamming her hands on the counter as she leaned forward to stare at me with those hard eyes of hers.

"I don't know. But, it sure will take a while till he notices. You know my dad. As long as no one else knows where I'm going or who I am then I hopefully don't have to worry about getting turned in by anyone. My best chance is down in Fairhope. But, with that, I need clothes. You know they dress way different than we do." I said, grabbing the magazine off of the counter and showing her the picture of Fairhope model on the cover, all clad in bright, neon clothes. 

"So, I was hoping you would help me get some clothes so I could blend in with them."

Erika continued to stare at me for what felt like an eternity. 

Eventually she sighed and pulled away from the counter, combing her long, painted nails through her hair before walking around the desk and into the back room.

"You are so lucky we just got some Fairhope clothes in today for recycling." She sighed, the sound of her voice hinting to the small smile on her face. 

I listened to her rummage around for a bit before coming back out with a pile of clothes.

"Here, go into the dressing room and pick something out. You may want to pack the rest of this stuff into your bag," she says, dropping the pile of brightly colored clothes into my arms then shoving me into the nearby dressing room. 

I turned to face her, as if to say something. But, she ended up shutting the door before I could even think of something to say. I guess we can say whatever we need to say before I leave. 

I sighed as I slipped off my fancy, slim dress and looked it over one last time. Who knows? This might be the very last time I ever wear a Saint City dress like this. 

I hung the dress up on the door before digging through the pile of clothes Erika gave me. I shifted through the pile of blindingly colorful clothes and dug out some random outfit. Some white shirt with a bright design on the front made of small rhinestones and a hot pink skirt that reached past my knees, as well as a cropped jacket that had different pieces of hot pink and electric blue fabric along the sleeves and hood. Sure, not the flashiest thing from Fairhope but that's probably best. The more I blend it, the better. 

I sighed as I stepped out of the dressing room and slipped my new Fairhope outfits into my bag before turning to look at Erika. 

"There. You're getting closer to looking like a Fairhope citizen. Come on." She patted the seat in front of one of the salon mirrors, signalling me to take a seat. 

I rested my bag by the chair and took a seat, resting my hands in my lap and playing with the sort of ruffly textures on the skirt as she dug around through her makeup bag.

Right, I almost forgot about that. Saint City and Fairhope have way different makeup. 

Along with our clothing dress codes, we also sort of have that for makeup. Saint City wears lots of extreme makeup with a lot of glitter. It is more glitter than color. We aren't restricted from any colors with our makeup, but a majority of people make it very shimmery and shiny. Some put reflective stickers on their cheeks or ever small rhinestones and pearls to make it really pop. Fairhope also has pretty extreme makeup, but it really isn't as crazy as Saint City. They stick to just makeup while we put other extra things on our face like the stickers I mentioned earlier. 

Erika stayed quiet as she peeled a few star stickers off of my face and threw them away before beginning to work on my makeup, the only sound filling the shop being the instrumental stuff playing from the radio. 

They don't have much good music up here in Saint City. It is a lot more instrumental and classical stuff to help everybody working focus. It was never my favorite before Tridania but now I've grown into it.

Erika hums quietly as she dabs her brush into some hot pink eyeshadow and starts to color my eyelids with it. 

The silence between us was surprisingly comfortable considering the situation we are in right now. 

I opened my eyes once she stopped working on them so I could look at her.

She was extremely focused on what she was doing right now. Erika always took fashion and makeup very seriously. But, you could see in her eyes there was something else. She obviously couldn't forget what I was here for. You could tell she was thinking about that while she worked on my face. 

The sight made me smile.

Erika has been my best friend for a long time. I am probably going to miss her the most out of everyone here in Saint City.

After only a few extra minutes she finished, grabbing the back of my chair and spinning me around to face the mirror. 

My normal, shimmery blue eyeshadow and lipstick was now replaced with a mix of hot pink and purple shades. It was definitely an interesting look that I wasn't too sure I liked but I could get used to it. 

I hopped up out of my chair and turned to face her.

"I knew you were crazy but I never really thought you were this crazy." She says, looking down at the floor with her hands on her hips. 

"I'm sorry Erika." I sighed. I know I didn't have to say sorry, I knew she would understand my reasoning but at the same time I couldn't help it. We're best friends and yet I'm leaving her behind. She could possibly get in trouble along with BB if people figure out that they helped me escape. 

She shrugged, lightly scratching the back of her neck before looking up at me. 

"It's whatever, ya know? Just whatever is best for you. You know I always support your ideas. I may not initially, but they pretty much always work out in the end so, I trust your judgement." She said, patting my shoulder lightly. 

"But, I really am gonna miss you. You better not forget me down in Fairhope. I sure won't forget you." She giggled.

I happily threw my arms around her neck and hugged her tightly.

"I could never forget you, Erika."

"Good." She said, hugging back just as tightly if not more. 

"Now, come on," she continued. "Let's get you out of here." She said, grabbing my hands and leading me to the back room.

Well, this is it.

I'm finally getting out of here. 


	5. ~4~

**Ryder**

"Listen, as much as I love all the conversation we have after work and I love keeping up with all the news, you know I can't stand Saint City news." I groaned, hopping up to sit on the counter criss cross before taking the soda from Tim as he handed it to me. 

"You're the leader of Devil Town." Tim laughed. "You kinda have to keep up with these things." He said, looking down at his mug of coffee as he stirred his sugar in before taking a long sip of it.

  
"I know I have to but like.." I paused for dramatic effect, "I don't care." I hummed, taking a drink of my soda, smiling at the small bark of laughter that the comment earned from Alex who was currently sprawled out on the couch in the main area. There was nobody here so he didn't have any problem sprawling out on the couch like that.

Tim rolled his eyes but still chuckled.

"Come on, you have to at least be slightly interested in the fact that Mister Saint City's daughter is getting married. You should have seen the diamond ring he got her." He hummed.

"Oh yeah. That thing has like a bazillion diamonds on it." Alex commented, shifting so he was hanging upside down from the side of the couch, his beanie falling from his messy hair and onto the floor as he reached towards the table and grabbed the newspaper and pointing to the ring to show Ryder and Tim.

It was definitely a beautiful ring. One pale blue diamond in the center with a base beneath it, covered with teeny tiny diamonds that could definitely pass for a bazillion.

"Alex, a bazillion isn't a number." Tim commented, not glancing at him as he sipped his coffee.

"Well, whatever. I didn't have time to count them all. Besides, they're all super tiny so I couldn't count them if I wanted to." Alex responded, shrugging his shoulders and resting his hands on his stomach.

"Listen, I appreciate the news, but all this talk of diamonds is making me feel more poor than I already am." I chuckled, swirling the carbonated liquid around in the opaque can.

"Okay, I guess that's valid." Tim chuckled.

"Whatever. I guess with that, we have an excuse to throw another town party in the square tonight." I suggested, smiling as Tim and Alex gave words of agreement before settling into comfortable silence.

"Hey, I saw those boys at the shop today." Alex commented mindlessly after a few moments of silence.

"Which boys? We know a whole lot of boys." Ryder chuckled.

"Those ones. That black roses gang or whatever. Those druggie kids Ryder used to be buddies with or whatever." Alex hummed, grabbing his beanie from the floor and dropping it onto his face, covering his eyes.

I momentarily paused, the memories of those boys coming back to my mind.

Tim seemed a bit concerned and gently patted my thigh. We weren't upset with Alex for bringing it up. Alex didn't know what exactly caused the tension between us and those guys so we didn't get upset when he mentioned them.

Alex felt the now thick silence and moved his beanie from his eyes to look at the two of us at the counter.

"What happened between you guys?" Alex asked, tilting his head.

"Nothing. Ryder just didn't have the best experience with those boys. But, it's in the past. So, yeah." Tim hummed, sipping his coffee.

The tension in the room was still there so to get rid of it, Tim sighed dramatically before giving Alex a look.

"Alex, how many times do I have to tell you to keep your nasty ass shoes off my couches!" He scolded, earning a small chuckle from Alex.

"C'mon Tim, I worked so hard today, give me a break!" Alex whined childishly.

Tim gave him a deadpanned look before leaning down to get a piece of bread from the bad under his desk in the cupboard before tossing it at Alex, causing his two huge birds, Tiny and Fairy, to squawk and jump on Alex, biting at the bread. The action made Alex shriek and tumble off the couch, causing a small giggle to slip my lips.

Even though the sight of Tim throwing bread at Alex while laughing boisterously as his birds flocked all over him was funny, I couldn't stop the memories from interrupting my once happy train of thought.

The thoughts made my stomach churn. These weren't really memories you like to think back on often. Thinking back on drug addictions isn't very fun. Remember all the terrible effects it had on my health as well as remembering the awful experiences that followed quitting. That terrible thing known as withdrawal. The sweats, the shivers, the mood swings. The entire experience was the closest thing to torture I had ever felt in my short 18, almost 19 years of life.

Tim had stopped laughing a bit ago I guess because when I focused again, his hand was on mine and he was tilting his head at me curiously while his birds got comfortable laying on Alex's stomach and legs.

"You alright, Ry?" He asked, his messy black hair flipping over to the side as he tilts his head.

Before I could even think of an answer, we heard a scream outside. Nobody ever screams like that unless there was actual danger around. So, of course, we all instantly assumed the worst and quickly ran outside.

We expected to see a huge fire caused by the fire lizards or one of those pesky feathered Wyverns.

However, when we ran out we only saw a girl with short hair and bright colorful clothes surrounded by a small wall of fire made by one of the previously mentioned fire lizards.

She definitely wasn't from around here based on her clothes and her strong reaction to the animal.

I sighed and looked back at Tim who just nodded and walked inside to grab the bucket of water he always had in case of these kinds of situations.

He walked out and tossed the water onto the small circle of fire that surrounded the girl's feet.

Who was she?


	6. ~5~

** Allana **

I slowly opened my eyes at the sound of water splashing and steam rising from the ring of fire that surrounded me only moments ago. 

  
I lowered my arms from their position in front of my face and rested one of my hands on my chest, feeling my heart pounding in my chest.

I glanced around then looked at the group of people before me.

This was definitely not Fairhope.

After Erika had helped me sneak into the plane that would deliver new supplies to Fairhope, I had drifted off into sleep, feeling exhausted after the wild day filled with emotions. I figured that when I felt the plane stop, I'd wake up and have and sneak out then I'd be in Fairhope! No problem! However, there was a problem. I didn't wake up when they made the drop offs in Fairhope. That or they moved the case filled with fabrics, that I had gotten comfortable in and fallen asleep in, onto another ship. Whatever it was, I ended up somewhere I did not intend to be. This place was definitely not Fairhope. Although I had never been to Fairhope, I knew from the faint view you could see from the edge of the city or from the magazines that Erika seemed to have an unlimited supply of that it was not like this. Fairhope was colorful and filled with life. Lots of people who love to party and spread peace and love. A hippie's wonderland. That's why I was currently dressed head to toe in highly saturated colors.

This place that I ended up in was not that though.

This place was filled with people but the colors here were dull. It was cold and everyone wore some kind of jackets or extra layers. There wasn't a single good sidewalk to be spotted. There were bits of concrete that looked like they could be sidewalks but they were cracked and broken and never seemed to go further than a couple feet. You could see a couple busted down cars in parking lots and old looking buildings, but even with all the rundown pieces of architecture that littered the city made it look like the setting of a zombie apocalypse movie, the people here made it seem just as lively as Fairhop.

People worked on the cars in the parking lot, covered in oil and dirt as they jammed out to some 80's rock on an old radio as they worked. Little animals like small birds and lizards ran around the dusty ground. Wind blew around through the almost desert like area, making the woods areas nearby whistle with sound.

The area gave me a sort of steampunk vibe only with slightly less advanced technology.

As interesting as the area was, upon my arrival it was clear as day to understand where I was.

I was in Devil Town.

I turned to the small group of people before me, feeling my heart start racing again at the thought of what they were about to do or say.

My father always warned me about the people down here. He always told me they were dangerous and aggressive. I always figured he was just being overprotective but one day I knew exactly what he meant.

My father had decided to throw a party to celebrate the success of Tridania. Everyone from Fairhope and Saint City was there. We were all so happy to have a new, better life after the apocalypse.

I remember talking with Erika when it happened.

The room was filled with casual chatter before it was suddenly filled with chaos. The sound of the wall of the dance hall collapsing along with panicked screams and shouts filled the area.

Everyone turned to see that our beautiful city was ablaze.

Fire swallowed every building in the city. You could hear the crackling of fire as it burned flowers and trees, crashing as our buildings slowly fell apart.

From the chaos emerged a girl. Her hair was wild, it's faded red dye seemed to glow with the blaze behind her.

Her face was scratched up, her jeans were torn and dirty. She was small, probably not much older or younger than me. She held herself with some sort of confidence. However, this wasn't the confidence you admired and envied others for. This was the type of confidence that intimidated and scared. The confidence as someone who wasn't afraid to cause some damage.

I remember her speaking loudly, making sure everyone could hear as she declared a war on my father, saying how until things were made right she would not rest until she got her revenge.

When my father returned with his own threat, she sent a whole militia around the dance hall, busting in windows with bats and threatening our citizens.

Among the chaos of people trying to leave and soldiers trying to save the city, I ended up face to face with that girl.

I remember her asking me if I really believed in god. Of course, I did at the time. Almost everyone in Saint City did.

I remember trying to seem confident and saying yes. She gave me such a sickening grin. A grin filled with sarcasm and bitterness.

"Really?" She had scoffed, tossing back a chunk of hair that had covered half of her face.

"Pray for us. Or better yet, pray for yourself. You're gonna need it." She said. She said it in almost a whisper, yet I could hear her clearly over the chaos before she ran off, calling her gang of demons, as she referred to them, off before they made their way back to wherever they came from.

Once the fires were extinguished from our city, we saw just how much damage was done. Glass and metal littered the streets from our now demolished buildings, our grass and flowers had been practically burnt to ashes, everything was destroyed. The only bits of buildings that had remained standing were tagged with spray paint with obscene words and statements. The most tagged was a simple message that said 'Devil Town Demons' along with a pair of devil horns.

Our soldiers and the Devil Town gang fought for what felt like forever before my father had agreed that the fighting seemed meaningless and settled for what she asked. She surprisingly didn't ask for much, only asking that my father and his men helped her and her gang live peacefully. I learned that they had been from the surface, left behind as our people worked to build up Tridania. In the end, they settled for that agreement and the term 'Devil Town' no longer represented a gang of misfits but a town of poor people just trying to thrive.

The memories made goosebumps pop up along my arms.

I looked forward and watched as the girl stepped towards me, tossing her dark braided hair behind her shoulders before resting her hands on her hips.

"I'm assuming by that reaction that you're not from around here." She chuckled, leaning down and picking up the small fiery creature, only slightly wincing as it's heated feet left small burns on her hands and arm as it crawled up to her shoulder, nuzzling into her neck and almost instantly cooling down.

"So, I'm gonna guess you're from Fairhope, am I right?" She hummed, tilting her head, her dark blue bangs swooping over just far enough to show both of her eyes. You could see a faint scar on her right cheekbone as well as one on her chin moving up towards her lips.

This is her. That girl. That girl that destroyed my city.

I can't tell her i'm from Saint City! She would kill me! Or something like that! I know Devil Town doesn't have much of a problem with Fairhope. Fairhope does the deliveries for them, they do all the trading between Saint City and Devil Town but I know that Devil Town still has at least some kind of grudge with Saint City.

"Uhm.." I paused, looking down at my colorful clothes before looking up at her again. "Yep, Fairhope." I replied, trying to sound as confident, or at least as comfortable, as possible.

"Yeah, I could tell." She hummed, her pink lips shifting into a small grin.

"What brings you down here?" She asked, crossing her arms across her chest.

Her whole vibe was just so confident and sassy. It was hard to imagine that kind of energy from someone so small. I guess at the time that we first met, I had been shorter and found her a lot more intimidating but now I see she barely reaches my shoulders. I've always been pretty tall but she's also compared to the other boys behind her.

I felt my cheeks heat up a bit as I tried to think of a reason I'd be here. Why would I be here? Who wants to leave Saint City or Fairhope for Devil Town!? No one! Why am I here?!

"Oh uhm, small business incident. I kinda went broke after some... interesting circumstances. I couldn't afford my place and stuff anymore so I had to move down here. You know how those price ranges and stuff work." I rambled, playing with a strand of my short hair, my eyes shifting around to try and avoid eye contact with her. As nice as she looked right now, I couldn't help but feel anxious. I know what she's capable of.

"Ah, yeah. I get it. That kind of thing happens. I would ask what these interesting circumstances are but I'm assuming based on your tense tone that you would rather not talk about it." She giggled, making my cheeks heat up even more. She sounded so sweet while still sounding confident.

"So, to avoid that conversation I'll clear up one thing real fast." She hummed, picking up the small reptilian from her shoulder and showing it to me. It's skin was black with small yellow markings along the head and tail.

"These are fire lizards. They're basically some advanced type of salamander. If you feel their skin it's almost like armor. That's why it was able to cause that fire. You let it near fire and it will completely burst into flames. But, don't worry. It doesn't hurt them. Well, immediately it doesn't. It might eventually but we usually only let them run around like that for a minute or two before putting it out again." She shrugged.

"Just be careful. When they get all fired up they suddenly get the urge to run around. They get lots of energy from it." She hummed before placing it on the floor and letting it skitter off.

"I'm Ryder, Ryder Hawkins." She said, reaching her gloved hand out for me to shake.

Her hands were pretty busted. Her nails were chewed to the point that she barely had any. Her hands seemed a bit dusty and had small scrapes all over her fingers. I hesitated for a short moment before taking her hand in my own.

"I'm..." I paused. I couldn't tell her my name! They get Saint City news down here. They know who I am. I thought of some random name on the spot,

"I'm Aurora. Aurora Wells." I sighed, gently shaking her hand, slightly tensing at the cold temperature of her small, rough hand in mine.

"Well, nice to meet you Aurora Wells. Come on, we were just about to get this party started." She smiled before turning and walking with the boys behind her, motioning for me to follow as she spoke.

"Alex, Tim, I believe we need to teach this girl how we party down here in Devil Town.


	7. ~6~

**Allana**

I tapped my fingers against the edge of my plastic cup filled with soda, my eyes flicking over the sights before me. 

After the meeting with Ryder and those two boys, who's names turned out to be Tim and Alex, they had gone inside Tim's shop. I, not knowing what else to do, followed close behind. 

They activated some kind of alarm that rang out through the entire city. 

You could hear it from every area of the city it seemed. Almost instantly you could hear this rise in conversation and noise. 

"Um... what is that, if I may ask?" I had asked, pointing up to the roof of the shop.

Ryder smiled as she leaned back on her elbows against the counter. 

"That, sweet child, is our party alarm. We don't usually plan these sorts of dances we throw. We usually just turn it on a couple of hours before we plan to throw a party. Usually people stop working, go home and cook and get ready then we all meet in the town square and have our little celebration." She explained, lightly shrugging her shoulders.

"Do you guys party often?" I asked. I knew they would probably get sick of all my questions eventually, but until then I would learn as much as I could. 

"Yeah, all the time. When you live in a dark, gloomy place like Devil Town with so little to do, it's good to have a small community you can depend on and get along with. We throw these parties whenever we have an excuse to. We heard something about the Saint City princess getting married, and we used that as an excuse to throw a party. Nobody asks why though, usually, so we don't really need a reason anyways. " She shrugged. "Everyone will make some kind of food and bring it out where we usually have the area set up, and we have dinner together and dance and all the fun stuff. We go for a couple of hours then once it gets pretty late, we clean up and everyone goes home." She smiles. 

I nodded a bit, playing with my nails. When we threw parties up in Saint City, they were always for big events like celebrating a new scientific discovery or a new invention or celebrating another year in Tridania. Everyone got dressed up all fancy, and we listened to some nice instrumental music. It's probably exactly how you would imagine high-class parties to be like. 

I expected the parties down here to be at least a little similar but no. 

After our conversation, Ryder went out with Alex to set up for the party and instructed Tim to get me some more fitting clothes. He led me to a room in the back that would probably be used as an area for check-ups considering he is a doctor of sorts. 

He had me stay in there for a moment before bringing in a pair of clean clothes and handing them to me.

"I'll be out in the main room when you're done." He hummed, shooting me small finger guns and a comforting smirk before leaving, shutting the door behind him. 

I hummed and pulled the brightly colored outfit off and slipped on the outfit he gave me. I pulled on the dark jeans and the comfortable gray, low-cut shirt over a black tank top. He said I didn't have to wear all the layers but that it would be recommended due to how cold it gets during the nights, especially now in the fall. I grabbed the brown, long jacket and slipped it on, rolling up the sleeves and adjusting the hood over my shoulders. I looked into the mirror at the other end of the room and slightly smiled. It was an odd outfit to see myself in but it was comfortable. It wasn't too bad, actually. It may definitely be a huge contrast from what I wore up in Saint City but that made it better. It just really showed that I did it. I ran away and I was still okay! Sure, I technically had to lie to get here and not risk getting murdered by that small girl and her crew but so far, I think I'll be alright. 

I hummed and washed the bright makeup off my face before leaving the room. 

Tim was currently feeding these tall birds that seemed to be a foot or two taller than me. I stepped back as they flocked over to me, walking in small circles around me.

"Oh, there you are. You look nice." He hummed, smiling as he leaned against the counter. "Don't be freaked out by them. Those are just my buddies. The purple one is Fairy and the blue one is Tiny." He said. 

Fairy had purple and pink feathers while Tiny had dark blue ones with some small white speckles that made him look almost like the night sky. 

"Oh I'm not freaked out. Well, not completely." I giggled, lightly stroking their feathers when they let me. "What are they?" I asked. 

"They're Ruules. They look like something you'd see in Fairhope, probably." He chuckles. 

"They live out on a small piece of land in the ocean. They flock over a couple times a year to collect food. These two were injured the first time they landed so I patched them up and they stayed with me after that. I've had them for a year and a half by now." He explained before whistling them over and tossing a couple slices of bread to the other room to get them out. 

"Alright well, are you ready?" He asked, to which I nodded and followed him out. 

That brings us back to now as I stood next to the large tables filled with food, watching the large groups of people as they chatted and danced with each other. 

The tables had lots of different types of home cooked food, mostly from different cultures that I had never seen or smelled before. I was a bit too scared to try any of it in fear of not liking it and coming off as rude so I just stuck to my soda. 

I watched as the groups of people danced together in the empty concrete parking lot. 

There was a store nearby at the end of the parking lot but it was so damaged, still obviously in the midst of reconstruction. But, that just left the parking lot being completely useless basically. But, now that these people use it as their little partying grounds, I guess it has a bit of use. 

The sounds of feet tapping and stomping and skipping along the concrete was just barely blocked out by the loud music playing from some pop 2000's cd in an old radio hooked up to a bunch of speakers. There were a couple higher tech lights scattered around the area, some on the floor by the lot and a couple up in the damaged building, sending different colored lights showering down on the people dancing. They looked like something you'd probably get from Fairhope. 

I hummed as I glanced around at everybody. Everybody seemed to be dressed in casual, everyday clothes even though this was a party. Some of these people couldn't even dance. It looked like a dance you'd see in middle school or highschool. Yet, nobody seemed to mind. The energy the dance floor had was impeccable. Peerless. Exuberant. It was amazing. The simple sight of it all made a small smile spread across my face. I never thought I'd be lucky enough to experience something like this. 

"Well hello there." I heard a voice beside me. I looked over to see a boy with shaggy, brown hair and a black beanie. Alex. 

"Oh Alex, hi." I smiled, tucking a small strand of my hair. 

"Hey there, beautiful." He hummed, clicking his tongue. "What are you doing over here all alone? You know the party is mostly over there." He chuckled, using the cup in his hand to signal towards the dance floor. 

"Oh, well, yeah. I'm aware. I just. I'm not much of a party person." I hummed. 

"Aww c'mon. Dancing is fun. I can teach you if you want." He offered. The offer was sweet enough but the way he said it made me slightly cringe. I could hear the flirty tone in his voice and was not interested. I didn't exactly know how to decline though.

"Uhh..." I paused, trying to think of something to say. Luckily, I heard a shout from the dance floor and looked over to see Ryder on the dance floor, dancing along to some spanish pop song.

"Alex, stop tormenting the poor girl and come dance with me!" She laughed. Alex laughed but didn't hesitate to put his cup down on the table and hop down the small hill and into the dance floor to dance with Ryder. 

I looked over to see Tim leaning against the table only a couple steps away from where Alex previously was, lightly chuckling at the two dancing. 

"So,... are those two like a thing?" I asked, tiling my head at him. 

He shook his head before looking at me again. 

"Nah, they're like siblings. Ryder and I found him after the apocalypse and after a couple days of bickering, the two got along quite well. We're kind of like a set of siblings. The only difference between me and him is he's like the best friend kind of brother while I'm more of the dad type of brother. I'm the oldest, Alex is the middle one and Ryder is the youngest." he explained.

"How old is Ryder?" I asked, looking towards her again. She held herself like any adult woman would but she gave of vibes that a teenager would.

He hummed, looking at her for a moment as if even he wasn't too sure. 

"I believe she turned 17 a couple months ago. " He said after a moment.

"17?!" I gaped, struggling to process this new information. Sure, she looked to be my age but my father as well as all the other adults were afraid of her when she showed up. If my calculations were correct, she was only 14-15 when she threatened us all. She seemed so much older at that moment. Maybe my father wasn't even sure how old she was. How did she end up the leader of Devil Town at such a young age?! 

I guess I spoke the last sentence out loud because suddenly Tim was speaking again.

"Honestly, I don't know either. I think it was just her pure determination and confidence. After Saint City completely neglected the fact that there were still people suffering out here, she ran purely on fear and rage. Like an animal almost. So, she convinced everyone else to work with her. Of course, they trusted her. They all felt the same way she did so how could they not? She wasn't afraid to start something like what she did so that's why people weren't afraid to follow her. In the end, it worked. But, even now she sometimes hates to admit that she did it. She doesn't hide it but you can tell she is a little bit ashamed of all the damage she caused." Tim hummed, watching Ryder with this look in his eyes that made my heart swell a bit. He really cared for her. 

I smiled a bit at the sight before looking back at the dance floor.

The dance went on for a good couple hours but eventually, everyone started to clean up and head home. It was probably around 12 am by now. 

"Hey, Ro!" Ryder called, making me turn. 

"You don't got anywhere to stay do you?" She asked, slipping her hands into her pockets. 

"Oh, uh. No, no I don't." I hummed. I never really thought about that. I don't have anywhere to stay!? What do I do!? 

"Oh, well, do you wanna stay with me? I have room." She offered. 

I looked at her and felt my face heat up. Why? I'm not fully sure.

"Uhm... yeah! Yeah! Sure! That sounds great." I sighed, playing with the soft belt on my coat to try and settle my excitement as she chuckled at me. 

"Alright then. Let's get going." She hummed, starting her trip back home.

"Oooh Sleepover!" Alex called.

"I'm in!" Tim called in return, making Ryder laugh happily. 

Sleepover? Hm. Doesn't sound too bad. 


	8. ~7~

** Allana  **

I sat on the old, torn up couch in Ryder's living room as she told Alex and Tim where to get extra blankets and pillows, her small hands gracefully untying the bottom of her blue button down and throwing it onto the coat rack by the door. She slips her brown gloves off her hands and tosses them onto the counter as she walks into the kitchen.

  
"Aurora, you can start getting comfortable now if you'd like." Ryder says, leaning back from the kitchen to look back at me before venturing back into the kitchen, shouting something along the lines of. "Hey! You're not supposed to be on the counter!"

I slightly raised my eyebrow, curious to what she was yelling at before a small swarm of white birds flocked out into the living room, making me squeak and hop up onto the couch.

I looked over to the hall to see Tim walking out with a couple small blankets after hearing him bark out a small laugh.

"Don't let them scare you off. They're harmless. They might crawl in your shoes but other than that, they're harmless." he chuckles, nudging a couple of the birds away with his boot, chuckling as they skittered off in random directions and getting comfortable in the small corners and crevices of the small living room.

I looked around the room as they scattered off, taking in the sights of the room.

The walls were a dingy, off white color. The wallpaper seemed to be peeling off in some areas. The few lamps that were scattered around the room on different desks and tables emitted a pale, yellow light, sending faint shadows everywhere. The whole room had a sort of dark, empty look but it also felt warm and safe in a way. I didn't even feel this safe in my own home sometimes and I had top-notch security there. I'm currently in the same house with the person who almost destroyed my city and yet I feel calm and comfortable.

I looked down at Tim as Alex joined him in placing layers of small blankets around the living room floor, presumably for us to sleep on. I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep on a floor when i'm so used to sleeping on an actual bed. Then again, I did somehow manage to fall asleep in a pile of clothes on the way here. I guess we'll just have to see.

"Alrighty, Pillows have been acquired." Ryder hummed, dropping a pile of pillows onto the floor next to Tim and Alex. She kneeled down to pull off her boots.

Of course, I wasn't staring, but I couldn't help but notice a dark spot on her chest just above where her dark tank top ended. It looked like a scar. It didn't seem new. It probably wasn't even obvious in proper lighting. Maybe it was the dim lighting making the dark mark pop a bit more. That's how lighting works, right?

"Uhh... Ryder. Can I ask you a question?" I hesitantly asked, tilting my head at her as I slipped my brown coat off.

She looked over at me and chuckled.

"You just did." she pointed out, lightly giggling as my cheeks flushed red. "Sure, go right ahead." She hummed, leaning back against the couch as Alex and Tim beat each other with pillows for a minute before getting comfortable on random spots along the piles of worn out blankets and pillows.

"What..." I paused, taking a small breath before continuing. "What is that?" I asked, pointing at her then lightly poking my chest through my shirt to sort of motion to where I was referring to.

She raised an eyebrow at me, her brown eyes slightly sparkling in the faint yellow lighting. She looked down at her chest and chuckled, resting her arms on the back of the couch.

"Eh, long story short, I got shot by some guard up in Saint City during one of our battles. Wasn't the funnest experience, but it definitely left a pretty gnarly scar." She chuckled before letting herself slide off of the couch and onto the floor.

"I assume you're not used to sleeping on the floor, so," She pauses, grabbing a pillow and a couple blankets before tossing them at me. I was slightly caught off guard but I still managed to catch them before they fell to the floor.

"So, you can sleep on the couch." She shrugged.

I felt bad that they were sleeping on the floor and I was on the couch but they didn't seem to mind so I decided to not say anything about it.

"You can put your stuff down by the door if you want. Get comfortable, don't be shy." She hummed, yawning a bit and sprawling out on her spot on the makeshift bed.

I slid off the edge and placed my bag on the floor by the door then hung up my oversized coat.

I walked over to the couch and laid out the blanket and pillow.

"So, how did you all end up down here?" I couldn't help but ask.

They all looked at each other and shrugged.

"I think we all were born around this area. I'm not sure if you know this, but Tridania is based around the area of what used to be Idaho. You know how that state is. It wasn't no New York. It was small and quiet and boring. It just kinda happened to be that we were all poor teens in a small town, ya know?" Ryder rambled, laying her arms under her head as she looked up at me.

"Well, except for Tim." Ryder added.

I raised my eyebrows at that before looking over to him as he stared up at the ceiling, hoping for some kind of explanation.

"I actually came from a rich family, but as soon as I reached the legal age I moved out and tried to live on my own. My family kind of resented me for just leaving them like that and trying to do my own thing so they didn't help me with money or anything. How convenient was it that just a couple weeks after I moved out, that the end of the world would come?" Tim chuckled.

"So, if you hadn't left your family and lived on your own, where would you have ended up?" I asked, sitting criss cross on the couch and pulling off my dark purple boots.

He hummed as he thought about it, his hands resting on his stomach as he stared at the ceiling for a moment.

"Probably Saint City. My family was full of doctors and lawyers. I did end up kind of being a doctor, but not the type of doctor they wanted me to be." He shrugged.

"Would you ever think about going back?" I asked.

He barks out a small laugh and looks at me with a raised eyebrow, his dark eyes sparkling confidently.

"Are you kidding? I would never go back. Sure, I have to work and live in a dusty land filled with monsters and wild animals, gangs and limited power supply, but I don't think i've ever felt as home as I do now that I'm here in Devil Town." Tim admitted, throwing me a small smile.

I couldn't help but smile slightly at that before looking over at Alex.

"What about you, Alex?" I asked, looking over to see him lying on his stomach, his chin resting on his crossed arms.

"Oh I just came down here for the hot girls and guys." he said, causing both Ryder and Tim to throw a pillow at him.

He laughed and tossed the pillows back.

"No, but seriously. The apocalypse sort of killed my parents so I'm an orphan. I wasn't super close to my family, so it doesn't hurt me much, but it still is kinda sad. My parents had a rough relationship. My mom cheated on him or something, I think. I can't really remember. Either way, it tore them apart a bit and that tore me away from them." He hummed.

"I think I have some family up in Saint City. A rich cousin, I think. Pretty girl probably." He chuckles. "But, I'm too attached to these guys to ever think of leaving." Alex admitted, shrugging and yawning. He tugs his beanie down over his eyes and nuzzles into his arms.

"How about you, Ro?" Ryder asked, looking over at me. She had this look in her eyes that I couldn't quite decipher. It looked nice and made me want to spill everything, but I knew I couldn't. She would kill me.

"Oh. Well, I ran away from home and tried to live on my own. In the end, I couldn't keep up with rent, so I got kicked out and here I am." That wasn't exactly a lie. I did run away and I am trying to live on my own. So, if I do get caught then they can't say I lied.

Ryder hummed and nodded.

"Yeah, makes sense." She hums. "Well, I wish you luck in getting used to the way Devil Town works. We'll try and make it easier for you." She chuckles.

"Well, thank you." I smiled, slipping my legs under the blanket and getting comfortable.

"One thing to get used to is the limited power. We have power from about 5 pm to 1 am. So, that means that the power should go out in about," Her words paused as the lights flickered out, leaving the room only faintly lit by a couple small candles in the kitchen and the moonlight outside. "Now." she giggled.

"Well, you know what that means." Tim hums, laying his arms over his eyes and yawning.

"Yeah. Goodnight everyone." Ryder yawned, rolling over onto her side. "Goodnight, Allana." She hums finally before going quiet.

"Yeah. Goodnight." I whispered, slightly smiling to myself as I let myself relax.

When I got off of the ship that brought all the packages to Devil Town, I was terrified that I would be beat up right then and there. That I'd lose all my belongings and would be left for the animals to get me. Instead, I got a nice place to stay, some comfortable clothes and maybe even some cool friends.

This place isn't as bad as I thought it would be.

With that final thought, I drifted off to sleep, peacefully unaware of what chaos the new day would bring. 


	9. ~8~

**Ryder**

I groaned lightly as I felt the faint sunlight shine into the window and hit my face. I rolled over onto my stomach, nuzzling my face into my arms to try and sleep in a little bit more. The power wasn't even on yet. The power usually kicks on around 8 am and stays on for an hour or so, so everyone can get up and get ready then go about their day before it goes out again. 

I listened to my own shallow breathing and Alex's faint snoring, letting the small sounds slowly lull me back to dreamland. 

Right before I could completely go under, I felt a couple small pats on my lower back. I tried to ignore it before I felt more. 

I sighed and turned over just enough to look back, only seeing a couple small birds roaming around, crawling over my back only to get to the front door.

I sat up, brushing my messy hair that had fallen out of my braid, back out of my face to squint at the small swarm of birds. 

I groaned as I saw them digging around through Allana's bag. 

I made a small whistle, getting their attention then patting my lap. At that, they almost instantly came shuffling over. 

They piled up in my lap and I sighed, stroking a couple of them.

"What am I gonna do with you guys? You know you aren't supposed to be stealing around here." I chuckled, keeping my voice down to make sure I didn't wake the others. Just because I had to wake up earlier than necessary, doesn't mean they had to. 

I gently brushed off the small birds so I could get up without just dropping them all, then made my way into the kitchen. 

I yawned as I stepped onto the cold tile. The candles from last night were still burning, the wax halfway melted down by now. I leaned down to blow out the small flames before opening my fridge and grabbing a water bottle. 

While leaning back against my counter, I let my eyes wander over the three bodies in the living room. Alex was laid on his stomach, his beanie still pulled down over his eyes. His shirt and jacket had been discarded, probably somewhere on the floor, leaving him in his jeans and socks. 

Tim was laying halfway on his side, halfway on his stomach, his arm keeping his head propped up. He was still pretty much fully clothed other than his shoes and socks being discarded. 

Aurora was still curled up on the couch, her blanket wrapped around her like a butterfly in a cocoon. It was kinda cute. She almost looked like a sleeping cat or something similar. I chuckled slightly at the sight before taking another sip of my water. 

I felt the small swarm of birds nuzzle up to my ankles, causing my eyes to shoot down to look at them. 

I figured they just wanted attention so I picked up the closest one, putting it on the counter to lightly stroke its feathers. 

I tilted my head once I noticed he had something in his mouth. 

I gently nudged his small beak open and grabbed whatever he had, not wanting him to eat something that isn't good for him. 

I expected it to be some kind of trash that we had accidentally left around on the floor, but instead was greeted with a shiny ring. 

I slightly gasped and dropped it onto the counter, stumbling back from it. Sure, it wasn't a weapon or anything, but it almost felt I had to treat it as such. We don't have jewelry like this down here anymore. 

I hesitated for a moment before grabbing it again and looking it over. 

It had such a recognizable design. I had no idea where I had seen this ring. There were like a bazillion of these small jems all over it. 

That thought made me gasp slightly. Alex. He said that exact same thing recently. 

I looked to the small bird on the counter again, his small, black eyes staring at me with confusion. 

"Where did you get this?" I whispered to him, watching as he hopped off the counter and scurrying out into the living room. I lean over the counter to watch where he was going, only to see him shuffle into the pocket of Aurora's bag. 

I looked at the ring in my hands then up to Ro. I repeated this a couple times before rushing into the living room, almost slipping on my socks as I rushed across the tile. 

I slid on my knees next to Tim and, a little too aggressively, slapped his shoulder a couple times. 

"Tim. Tim! Wake up, old man!" I whispered-shouted in his ear, sighing with relief when his eyes finally fluttered open. 

"Ryder, sugar, please let me sleep. What is the problem?" He groaned, rolling over onto his back and rubbing his eyes. 

"I need you real fast. I need you to unlock your shop. I also may need some emotional support." I said. I said it like a joke so he didn't think we were in danger, but I was definitely serious about possibly needing emotional support. If my thoughts are correct I may have a full fledged breakdown. 

He gave me a slightly concerned look before getting up.

I rushed into Tim's apothecary shop as soon as the doors were unlocked. 

"Ryder, I'm highly impressed that you are so awake considering how early it is, but what is your problem?' Tim asked, shutting the shop door behind him and leaning against it, watching as I dug around through the stack of newspaper on the table.

I sighed as I turned to him and pulled the ring out of my jeans pocket. I wasn't even fully dressed in my day to day outfit. I'm still in my tank top and jeans but other than that, nothing. Tim scolded me for rushing out without shoes since there's often broken glass or rocks outside. 

I pulled out the shiny ring and walked over to him, shoving it into his hand. 

"That." I sighed in frustration. "That is my problem." 

Tim raised an eyebrow at me before looking at the piece of silver in his hand, his eyes widening as he looked it over.

"Where did you get this?" Tim asked, lowering his voice to an almost whisper. 

"I didn't. The birds were snooping around and found it Ro's bag." I explained, crossing my arms over my chest. 

"It looks like that Saint City princess' ring for her engagement." I whispered. 

Tim's eyes shifted between the ring and I multiple times before he walked past me, digging around through the newspapers before finding the one from yesterday. 

He flipped through the black and white pages before finding the one with the engagement announcement, tilting the page so I could see it as well. 

He put the ring up next to the image to compare and, just as I thought, it was the exact same ring. Same band, same placement of the crystals and same, faint initials in the band. 

I looked up at Tim's face, glad to see he seemed as astounded and confused as me. 

"What... What do you think this means?" Tim asked. 

I sighed as I nibbled at my already too short nails, racking my brain for why in god's name Aurora would have this. There's that thought that have been poking at the back of my mind as soon as I got the ring, but I tried to ignore it, hoping it wasn't what I was thinking. 

"Maybe she stole it? I don't know." I sighed. 

Tim stared down at the ring in his strong hands before suddenly digging around though he newspapers again. 

"What are you looking for?" I asked, trying not to seem too annoying or nosy. 

He didn't answer, just continued to dig around for a minute before finding another newspaper from a couple weeks ago. 

On the front page, in bold letters, read: "Happy Birthday Allana Starwell! Daughter of Saint City turning 19!" 

Below the bold words was a picture of a girl with long hair and fancy makeup. That face. It looked exactly like Aurora. 

I looked up at Tim who was giving me a look. I can't describe it. It almost looked like pity to me. 

"What?" I asked, a small growl creeping into my words. 

"By the aggressiveness in your voice, I'm guessing you know exactly what I'm saying here." He hummed. 

I stared at him for a moment before looking down at the paper and staring at the image. 

I did know. I knew exactly what he was saying and I didn't like it. Not one bit. 

I was about to speak again when the door suddenly opened. 

We turned to it to see a tired Alex leaning against the door.

"Am I interrupting?" He asked, lightly chuckling.

"No." I sighed before leaning against the counter, a fake small spreading across my face.

"Just wanted to start working on something a little early." I lied.

"What's up, Alex? Need something?" Tim asked, leaning back on his elbows against the counter. 

"Nah, just checking. I wanted to make sure y'all weren't getting in trouble without me." Alex laughed,

I wanted to laugh along, but this whole Aurora situation was still bugging me.

"Nope. Not at all." I replied. "Hey, could you do something for me, Alex?" 

He shrugged and nodded in response. "Sure, what's up?" 

"Well, because I have stuff to do today, I won't be able to show Ro around, could you do that for me when she wakes up? She might appreciate the presence of a cute guy like you around." I explained, smiling at him. 

He didn't hesitate to agree and head out. As soon as he was gone, I sighed and let my face fall.

"You alright?" Tim asked. 

"Yeah totally." I hummed, keeping my eyes down. I could sense his eyebrow raise without him even saying anything. 

"Okay, no I'm not." I groaned, walking over and collapsing onto Tim's couch. "Why would she lie to us? What is her reason for being here? There's no way they'd kick her out of Saint City, she's their princess. What if she's here to spy or something? What if her dad is on his old bullshit again and trying to creep on us?" I rambled, laying my arms over my eyes, blocking out the brightening sunlight that slipped through the windows. 

"Come on, Ryder. You don't know what she's here for, you can't instantly get defensive." Tim chuckled, sitting on the couch, lifting my legs and resting them in his lap so we could both fit. 

"Oh yes I can, and I am. We both know that Stephan doesn't like me. I mean, I don't blame him after all I did, but we came to an agreement to be treated the same as Saint City and Fairhope. Sure, they give us power and they trade us supplies and junk, but I'm pretty damn sure they don't spy on Fairhope like this!" I explained, sitting up and leaning back against my hand, the other one mindlessly flying around through the air as I rambled.

"Ryder, you're talking with your hands again." Tim stated simply, flipping through an old newspaper curiously. 

I growled and leaned back against my elbows. 

"The point is, she lied to us and I really am not too happy about that." I sighed. "What if she lied about her little backstory? What if she's lying about why she's here?" I said, beginning to ramble again.

"So what?" Tim asked, turning to me with a slightly exasperated look on his face. 

"So what?! Tim, we told her personal things last night. You can't lie. I can tell you trusted her. Alex did too. How are you so unbothered by that? It took you forever to tell me anything about yourself and yet you tell a complete stranger who turns out to possibly be lying?! What the hell, man?" I said, raising my voice a bit more than I intended. 

Tim seemed to understand where I was coming from based on the way his annoyed expression relaxed and he sighed. 

"I guess that makes sense." He sighed. He looked at me once again then patted the couch, motioning for me to sit up.

I did as he instructed, sitting up then leaning back against his shoulder, sighing as he gently pet my hair. 

"I know you might feel a bit scared or betrayed. I get it. I know why you're freaking out. But, you have to give her a chance." Tim sighed. 

I hated to admit it, but he was right. He was completely right. 

I took a deep breath then sighed. 

"Fine. I'll try." I agreed, resting my head against his shoulder and looking up at him. 

He gave me that cheesy smile and ruffled my already messy hair. 

"That's the spirit." He told me before gently shrugging me off of his shoulder. "Now, we got that out of the way, how would you like to spend the day helping me out? I could use the extra help around here." Tim offered, walking around his counter to the back room, turning on his coffee machine. 

I thought about it for a moment. If Alex was really walking Allana around all day like I told him to, I should probably go help the others at that clothing store since Alex isn't going in, but hanging out with Tim sounded pretty good too. 

After a minute of thinking it over, I shrugged and agreed. 

A day with Tim. That sounded fun. 

I sighed as I sat back against the couch in Tim's shop, smiling as he tossed some food up for his birds to catch and eat. 

He came and dropped down onto the couch with me, sighing and resting his arms behind his head. 

"Well, today was fun, wouldn't you think?" He asked, turning to look at me.

I barked out a small laugh before looking at him with a slightly over exaggerated expression. 

"Fun? Yeah, for you maybe. I had to organize and separate all those pills into their proper bottles because Tiny decided to be a brat and knock everything over! I swear, that little fucker has it out for me, I can feel it!" I playfully grumbled, laughing slightly 

"Aww, c'mon, you know Tiny is a sweetheart." Tim laughed, brushing his fingers through his wild hair. 

"Yeah. He's such an angel." I said, rolling my eyes then smiling at him again. "You need a haircut." I told him, giggling at the playfully offended look he gave me.

"Hey! Good haircuts are scarce down here, aight?" He jabbed me in the side with his elbow. "I'd rather look like a jungle man with lots of hair than an idiot with a terrible haircut." He said, making me laugh again. 

"Okay, sure, whatever you say." I hummed, my eyes shifting from him to the door when it was suddenly thrown open, making the small bell above it ring. 

As expected, there stood Aurora, er, Allana? Ugh, Aurora. Sure. Aurora and Alex.

Small giggles forced their way out of Aurora's mouth as Alex finished up some cheesy pick up line that somehow managed to make her giggle. 

I watched them for a moment, feeling the playful energy Tim and I had, slowly fade into something more tense as I stood from the couch and slipped my hands in my pockets, clearing my throat to grab their attention. 

"Hey, Ryder! Sorry we took so long to get here. We went pretty much everywhere. Ro had a pretty great time. I'd say the date was successful." Alex said, making her roll her eyes and giggle.

"Great, great. That's...awesome." I hummed, giving them a small smile before focusing on Aurora again. 

"Hey, Ro. Can I ask you something?" I asked, rocking back on my heels as I watched her turn her attention to me. 

"Yeah, of course." She hummed, smiling at me, oblivious to what I was about to say. 

"By any chance, is your father's name Stephan?" I asked. 

The question made her eyes widen slightly in both shock and confusion. 

"Uhmm.. What?" She asked, lightly chuckling.

"Also, were you by any chance, getting engaged soon?" I asked, stepping closer to her, my fingers grasping the piece of silver jewelry in my pocket.

She didn't say anything, just stared at me anxiously, lightly tugging at the bottom of her dark brown coat. 

"I believe I saw a very familiar face in the newspaper the other day." I 

hummed, keeping my tone light and casual as I attempted not to scare her off. 

"It was talking about how some lovely lady from Saint City was getting married. They even showed off her ring. Very lovely." I hummed, feeling a bit of aggression well up in my chest as I stepped closer and closer till she was backed up against the counter. 

"I don't think I'd ever seen a ring so wonderful. I believe it looked a little bit like," I pulled the ring out of my pocket and held it up, watching as her cheeks flushed red and her eyes widened. Her quickening breaths had suddenly stopped as she watched me pull out the ring. "This. Very similar to this." I said.

The room was tense and silent for a moment. After a couple short seconds she tried to make a run for the door but I grabbed her by the back of her coat, throwing her back against the counter again and placing my hands on the hardwood desk, ignoring the small 'woah' Tim muttered behind me in hopes of getting me to cool it. 

"Alright princess, the jig is up. Why are you here? What do you want?" I asked, trying not to growl so much. 

She looked panicked as she started rambling.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to lie. I just had to get away. My parents were planning on marrying me off for some business thing and I didn't want to be a part of that so I ran away. I meant to go to Fairhope, that's why I showed up dressed like that. My friend helped me sneak onto the ship or whatever that takes supplies down to Fairhope but I ended up passing out and missed my stop. I ended up here. I would have left, but I didn't know how and then I got scared by that little firecracker reptile and ran into you three and when I recognized you I was terrified that if I told you about who I really was you would feed me to the monsters in the water or kill me yourselves and I really just wasn't in the mood to be killed, alright!? I'm so sorry please don't kill me or send me back home, I'll leave if you want me to!" She rambled, making me slightly raise an eyebrow at her. To be honest, I was slightly impressed how fast she could explain that all. 

I sighed and placed my hands on my hips, taking a couple steps back so she could breathe. She almost instantly let out a huge breath, her tense shoulders relaxing. I watched as her bright eyes frantically looked up at my face then down to her feet a few times. The silence in the room seemed to make her grow more anxious every passing moment. Eventually, I sighed and crossed my arms, my harsh stare weakening a bit. 

"Alright. I'm not gonna ask every detail because I don't care. It won't affect anything." I hummed, watching as she fiddled with her coat sleeves, her feet constantly shifting around. It was obvious she was trying to not look awkward, but she was failing miserably. 

"I won't send you back home." That sentence caused a small burst of confused and surprised sounds from the other three in the room. 

"Wait, I, really?" She stammered, her fidgets stopping momentarily as she stood straighter. 

"Yes, really. I know home life can suck. As much as having a Saint City girl around is gonna mess with my head for a while, I'm not gonna force you to leave. Although, Fairhope is better. If you want to leave, we will send you up to Fairhope. We won't force you to stay here, but we also won't send you back home. Whatever you wanna do." I hummed, giving her a small smile to help settle her nerves. 

She looked dumbfounded. She was silent again for a moment before smiling brightly.

"I want to stay here." She decided, her hair bouncing around her shoulders as she rocked on her heels. 

I couldn't help but smile. The fact that she was willing to stay here instead of somewhere like Fairhope made a small feeling of pride or joy fill me. It isn't often that I feel this strongly. 

"Alright. If you're sure. Just know, if you're staying, you can't lie to us. If you lie or betray us we might just have to throw you out for the sea monsters like you thought we were going to." I hummed, laughing at the slightly scared look she has in her eyes.

"I won't, I promise!" She exclaimed, crossing her fingers over her chest with one hand and grabbing my hand with the other. 

"Good." I stated simply before twirling her around and wrapping my arm around her neck, pulling her down to my height. "That means you're stuck with us now, good luck!" I laughed, smiling at the relieved look on Tim's face as he and Alex laughed along with us. 

As much as I hate to admit it, Tim was right. I usually am not the type to talk things out, obviously. But this time, I'm glad I did. 


	10. ~9~

**Ryder**

A week passed and it almost seems like Allana belonged here. She fit in almost perfectly. Of course, some things were new to her and took some getting used to such as the early waking hours and constant work or the wild animals that occasionally wandered out of the old, busted up woods and out into our town. 

  
I would occasionally look at her when we were hanging out at Tim's after work and it would randomly hit me that she was a Saint City princess just a week ago. Why she wanted to stay here and not in Fairhope was something I constantly wondered, but could never answer. I never admitted it out loud, but if I could I would try to move up to Fairhope. I can't though. I have to look after Devil Town. I've grown attached to this town and as much as I would love to live in Fairhope or Saint City, I couldn't leave. I'm Jack Kelly and those cities are my Santa Fe. Hopefully, like Jack, this longing will fade. It definitely has. This urge to run away like Allana has settled to a very small flicker of a flame rather than a large wildfire like it used to be. That doesn't change that some nights the urge fills my thoughts and makes it hard to focus on anything else. Those thoughts often fill my stomach and chest with a strong guilt. How could I think of leaving all these people I've grown so fond of? Tim, Alex, the Rosales family that runs our bakery, those annoying black roses gang. All of these people that, even with their flaws and faults, I have grown attached to. It isn't often I think of leaving anymore, but with Allana around I can't help but think about it more often.

I sighed as I shook my head, brushing those thoughts away as I focused on hanging up clothes in the store. I decided I'd hang around with Alex today since, knowing him, he probably wouldn't do his work. Alex isn't a bad guy and isn't necessarily a bad worker all the time, but he isn't really a retail sort of guy, so he doesn't try as much as he should. So, I like to come and work at Denim Town so I can not only hang out with Alex, but also help out the limited workers in the store.

I hummed softly to myself as I hung up the new jackets that got shipped in the other day.

It seems that with Allana around, my emotions are constantly hopping back and forth. I either crave the freedom to escape or I feel completely at peace with sticking around my friends. Allana has somehow pulled me in quite fast. I'm often awkward when it comes to getting close to people. Yet, Allana somehow managed to earn my trust fast. I don't fear her hurting us. I can't imagine her ever betraying us.

My head shot up as the door to the store opened, startling me out of my deep thoughts. I chuckled at my own reaction before hanging up the rest of the clothes.

"Ryder!" I heard Alex shout from the door.

"What? If the lizards lit something on fire again there's a bucket of water by the desk, ya know?" I called back, blowing a strand of hair from my face before walking around the rack of clothes and looking over to Alex who looked frantic.

"What's up? I haven't seen you look that panicked since we wandered too far into the woods." I chuckled, trying to ease his tension.

"It's Saint City. They're looking for Allana." He said, his chest shakily rising and falling. He looks breathless. From running, I assumed.

"What?" I quickened my steps before standing right in front of him, watching as he brushed his messy, brown hair back and tugged his beanie on over it.

"Some guy is here looking for her. He brought a whole team of their cops or whatever the hell you call them." he panted, his head constantly turning to look from me to the doors.

I could only imagine the incredulous look on my face as I rushed past him and outside, looking up at the large group that had now gathered around the town square. You had to be blind to miss out on the huge contrast between the townsfolk from here and the group of people suited in white. They stood out like a sore thumb.

"Where is Allana?" I asked Alex as he jogged beside me.

"She was helping out at Tim's today so he probably has her hiding out there." Alex answered, glancing over at me for a moment before looking up at the group as we neared it.

I nodded before jogging up to the group, slipping through the crowd to the front, facing the tall man that led the group of Saint City police. He had lightly tanned skin and bold, black eyes as well as dark hair slicked back in a professional style. As soon as the crowd noticed me maneuvering my way through, they slowly quieted down from the confused ruckus they caused just a few moments prior.

I looked up at the tall man before me, my arms crossing over my chest as I made eye contact with him.

"I assume you are the one in charge?" He asked, his hands comfortably resting behind his back.

"Yes. Ryder Hawkins." I stated, my voice flat as I examined him. He wore a Silver suit with dark grey shoes that were way too fancy to belong in place like this.

"Who are you?" I asked, reconnecting our eye contact once again.

"Yes, I am Kim Dae Sung. Kim for short." He introduced himself before offering his hand for me to shake. His hands were strong but smooth. Not a single callous or scratch. Not one nail was too long or too short. They were like doll hands just more masculine.

I took his hand and shook it once before releasing it.

"May I ask what you want?" I hummed, shifting my weight from one leg to the other.

"Yes actually. My Fiance, Allana, has gone missing. She is Sir Stephan's daughter. The next in line to take over Saint City." He explained.

"I see. Why are you here though? I don't imagine a princess would like it down here." I hummed, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Well, you see, we checked Fairhope and couldn't seem to find her anywhere there. We asked everyone and she was nowhere to be found. So, we had to check here." He stated, occasionally using his left hand to emphasize his words.

I nodded and glanced back, making eye contact with Tim for a moment before looking up at Dae again.

"Well, sorry to break it to you, but we haven't seen your princess. Sorry that you wasted your time coming down here. But, hey, at least you tried." I hummed, shrugging a bit overdramatically.

I could see a bit of a glare in his eyes as he stared down at me, but he hid it with a small, professional smile.

"I'm not sure if you're aware, but they are offering a large reward to whoever brings her back. It isn't very smart to hide someone as important as Allana Starwell." He hummed, trying to hide that his patience was slowly wearing thin.

I sighed and placed my hands on my hips, stepping closer.

"Listen, I'm sorry you can't find her, but it really isn't my job to look after your runaway brides." I hummed, slightly smiling at the look of offense and shock that flashed in his dark eyes.

"Also, I don't see why you're questioning us. If anything, you should be questioning Fairhope more. Fairhope is filled with hippies and bohemians. If she had a run away, they wouldn't rat her out. They also are way more populated. It could be easy to miss her in a place like that. But down here, I have eyes everywhere. I know for a fact I wouldn't miss her. So, instead of wasting our time, why don't you go run along and look somewhere else. You won't find her here." I said. And with that, I turned my back and waved off the group, watching as the Devil Town citizens slowly started to disperse.

I could feel his astonished gaze on my back as I tried not to look back. I didn't want to deal with this any longer. I didn't want to be interrogated anymore than I already had been.

As I walked over to Tim, I could hear Dae mutter something under his breath.

"Smartass little girl." I paused and turned to him, a small sarcastic smile spreading across my face.

"I'm sorry, care to repeat that?" I asked.

He stared at me and brushed his fingers through his hair, brushing it back before slipping his hands in his pockets.

"Did you call me a little girl?" I asked.

"Why yes I did. I mean, I'm not wrong am I?" he chuckled.

"You're probably not even the leader. I can't imagine a girl so small and weak leading a place like this." He stated, a proud looking settling upon his sharp features.

I couldn't stop myself from letting out a shocked gasp.

I glanced back at Tim and the rest of Devil Town. They all seemed to feel the tension in the air between us. I could see Tim staring me down, trying to use his eyes to get me to cool it. But, I could see that he already knew that wasn't gonna happen.

"You're wrong." I stated, turning to him, my hands gripping my hips as I glared up at him.

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really. Do you think a little girl could do something like this?" With that, I grabbed his dark tie, tugging him down to my height and sending my fist colliding with his face.

Within seconds, the officers that had practically been forgotten jumped into action, moving to pull Dae back from the Devil Town citizens as they rushed towards the officers, determined to stand their ground and protect their run down town. Tim rushed past me to protect me from the strong officers as they lunged towards me.

The chaos that ensued is too hard to describe. There was shouting and swearing. Punches and kicks were thrown around. The way the dark, neutral colors of Devil Town blended with Saint City suits was almost headache inducing. It was almost like someone was turning dozens of lights on and off at different times. Some blood was shed. Nothing fatal of course, but blood was still shed. It however did not take long for Saint Ciy to retreat, not wanting to get into it with us. The townsfolk cheered between their heavy pants and gasps for air.

Well, what a fun way to spend the afternoon.

"Ow." I muttered as Tim cleaned up the scratches on my face and knuckles.

"That's what happens when you decide to start fights with people three times your size." he sighed.

I groaned with minor annoyance, but quickly shut my mouth. I couldn't complain. Tim really had my back out there. My eyes glossed over the bandages that covered his cheek and hands. We were both covered in bruises and scratches. Alex was pretty beat up too. He had already been patched up though and was currently crashed out on the couch, his head resting in Allana's lap as she gently stroked his hair, trying to ease his headache. His dumb self managed to get thrown into the concrete by a couple cops when he decided to get into it with two of them. Tim checked and he luckily didn't have a concussion. He was just in a lot of pain.

Once Tim finished patching me up I gave him a quick hug before sliding off the counter. I tossed myself into one of the comfortable chairs, laying with my legs hanging off the arm rest and just curling up against the back of it, sighing as I relaxed my tired muscles. Thinking about the fight, it seemed to be quick, only showing in quick flashes when in reality we were at it for quite a while.

I glanced over at Tim as he laid back against the other couch in the room. His black hair was mussed up and his dark skin was littered with dark purple bruises. The only one in the room that didn't look like actual crap was Allana. Tim had gotten pretty busy right after the rumble. Most people just went home to patch up since most of the damage done wasn't too serious. However, some people needed some medicine to help with any raging headaches or some proper bandaging if the cuts and scratches were extra harsh. Thankfully, it didn't take him long to get them patched up and move on to us.

The town was quiet. After that brawl everyone seemed to have gotten settled down into their homes, exhausted and aching.

The room stayed silent for a couple minutes. It was almost long enough for me to drift off into a comfortable sleep. Then the silence was broken by Allana as she sighed.

"I'm really sorry you guys. I didn't know this would happen. If I knew I wouldn't have stayed hidden. I didn't mean for you all to get hurt." She sighed, glancing around at all of us with a guilty expression.

"Eh, don't worry about it." I hummed, shifting to face them, a small pained noise forcing it's way past my throat as I leaned against a bruise on my side.

"It isn't your fault." Tim assured her, his voice deep and tired. "This is mostly Ryder and her hot headed temper's fault." He chuckled, making me laugh.

"Hey." I said in a playfully offended tone.

"He's right though." I sighed

The room settled into silence for another minute before it was interrupted again. This time it was Tim who started speaking.

"What are we gonna do next time they come around?" He asked.

"Next time?" Alex groaned, pulling his beanie up a bit to uncover his eyes as he looked up again. Well, at least he was feeling a little better.

"I mean, let's say they do as Ryder said and go check Fairhope again? They won't find Allana there. If they don't go search there they might bring more of their officers to come down here and search. We know they won't just give up on looking for her. This is their princess for crying out loud. They wouldn't just let her get away like that." Tim explained.

I hummed as I thought about it, my legs swinging over the edge of the arm rest. He's right. What do we do then? They won't stop searching for her. We could just fight them again, but Saint City is strong. They have amazing technology and lots of officers that won't give up.

"I don't know. I guess we'll just have to scare them off again or something. Might have to fight them again." I huffed, not really liking the thought of fighting with Saint City.

"No." Allana suddenly stated, her voice trembly but firm.

We all looked at her, curious about what she was trying to say.

"I can't just let you guys fight again. Look at you all. They didn't even have their biggest weapons with them today and you all look like hell! They will crucify you if they come back with more weapons or more officers." She sighed.

"Well, what do you say we do? You know Saint City better than we do." I hummed, swinging my legs over so I was sitting in the chair like you're supposed to.

"Not we. Me." She sighed. "I have to go back."

That made the room go silent again. Not the comfortable silence we've gotten used to lately. This was tense and awkward.

"You...You what?" 


	11. ~10~

**Allana**

  
I turned my gaze from Alex's damaged face up to Ryder's concerned and confused expression.

She sat in her seat, her elbows resting on her knees as she stared at me, her hands hanging limp between her knees. Her eyes looked blank, but it made me tense and I wondered what on Earth she was thinking about. I haven't been here for very long, but that look is definitely not one I've seen yet.

"Ryder?" I asked, keeping my voice quiet in case she was just thinking.

Ryder instantly jumped out of her seat, almost stumbling over her feet as she glared down at me, her hands clenched into trembly fists.

"So what, now that your stupid mistakes are coming to get you, you're just gonna give up? Gonna run away?" She spat, her chest rising and falling quickly with her ragged breathing.

"Ryder," Tim said, a warning tone in his voice that he seems to use often with Ryder.

"No! Don't 'Ryder' me! You know I'm right!" She shouted, turning to face Tim, her long braid somewhat falling loose from the fight earlier and from her current fast paced movements.

"She comes in here, lies to our faces and expects us not to find out. Then, when we did find out we still let her stay as long as she promised not to abandon us and look! She's doing it! Exactly what I thought would happen. Yet, you said otherwise. You had to go all 'Father Tim' on me and give me hope now here we are! This is the exact reason I didn't want her here when I found out!" Ryder rambled, her hands trembling as she tossed them around in her angered vent.

"Ryder..." I tried to speak, hoping to try and calm her down and help her understand.

"Allana." She spat back, quickly turning to face me with a glare so harsh it made me shrink down a bit. The room was filled with tense silence. I watched anxiously as she took deep shaky breaths, her whole body trembling as she tried to calm herself.

Tim stood up slowly behind her and gently touched her shoulder, causing her to flinch momentarily before taking a deep breath and relaxing just enough to stop shaking and breathing so hard. Her dark eyes shifted over to Tim's for a moment before turning back to me.

"I'll get another storage ship to come down here. It'll be here early so be ready. I want you out and leaving as soon as it arrives." Ryder states, giving me a quick up and down look. "Got it?" She asked, a faint growl in the back of her throat.

I was silent for a moment as if I had any choice. After a moment of silence I sighed and nodded.

"Got it." I replied, looking down at the floor.

I listened as she turned and walked out of Tim's shop, slamming the door behind her.

My eyes slowly drifted up towards Tim as he sighed heavily and walked over, plopping down on the couch next to me and Alex.

"Sorry about her." Tim hums, gently patting my arm.

"No, don't be. She's right." I sighed. Of course she was right. I know I promised I wouldn't leave and yet, here I was. Now, even if I did want to stay I couldn't because she wants nothing to do with me anymore.

"Hey, don't say that. That's just Ryder being Ryder. You know her and her short temper." Tim hums, looking down at Alex as he weakly nods.

"I guess that's true." I shrugged, slightly smiling at the thought of Ryder's short fuse causing the fight with Saint City. Of course she'd fight her way out of a situation like that.

"Listen, I know you're supposed to leave, but if you want to stay I could probably talk to Ryder. She probably didn't even mean it. I know if you leave she's gonna be upset she said anything." Tim explained.

"Eh. I think it's better if I just do as she says. If she does end up not wanting me around even when she cools off and I'm still here she definitely won't be happy." I hummed, resting my hand on Alex's chest to fiddle with a cheap chain around his neck. He didn't seem to mind so I continued.

Tim silently nodded, leaving us to ease into the still somewhat tense shop.

"The only reason she reacted like that is because you mean a lot to her, you know that right?" Tim asked, tilting his head at me.

"Really?" I couldn't help but ask. Obviously Ryder cared about me I mean she let me stay with her so she had to like me at least a little bit. But the way Tim said it, it sounded like I mattered a lot more than just a little bit.

"Yeah." Tim assured me. "Ryder used to have a really good relationship with a female friend of hers. Her name was Thea I believe. After the apocalypse, she got separated from her as well as another friend of hers. She found Alex and I while trying to find anyone after the world basically collapsed. She's still young and she has so much responsibility without a single girl friend. It's tough. No 16, 17 year old girl wants to be friends with a couple old guys." Tim explained.

"Excuse me, I am not old." Alex corrected, giving Tim a playful glare.

"Older than Ryder is what I mean." Tim chuckled, causing me to smile.

"Anyways, the point is you gave her that sort of girl best friend energy she's wanted for a long time. So, now that you're leaving she's just feeling a little betrayed in a way. She knows you don't mean any harm, but Ryder hates expressing sad emotions. She's stubborn and responds to these types of feelings with forced anger. She's not actually mad at you." Tim explained. Although I didn't need such a lengthy explanation, it did help confirm some questions I had swirling around my brain.

I just silently nodded in response.

Tim hummed and gently ruffled my hair.

"Come on. Let's get you back home so you can get ready for tomorrow. We need to get to sleep pretty early if you want to be awake enough to say goodbye." Tim stated before standing up from the couch.

With little hesitation, I gently pushed Alex off my lap and stood up.

I guess sooner is better than later.  
  
  
  


That night Ryder didn't sleep in the living room with us. After they all slept in the living room with me the first couple nights, they made it into a sort of routine. All of them had their own rooms and beds, but they slept in the living room with me so I wasn't alone. I really appreciated that. Now though, the three spots in the living room that would hold the sleeping bodies all night, were only partially filled.

I figured she either was already in her room or out somewhere else. None of us really bothered to go check on her.

I asked Tim about it previously, but he said it was better to let her blow off steam on her own.

I felt like the day sped by way too fast. It was barely sunset when we left Tim's shop and now, here we are, already getting ready for the power to shut down.

"Got everything?" Tim asked, positioning his pillow comfortably in his makeshift floor bed.

I looked around through my bag, checking to make sure I had everything. My outfit from Erika, all the jewelry I brought in hopes of selling them for money, etc. Lucky for me, I didn't end up having to sell any of them.

"Yeah. I got everything." I confirmed after looking it over once more. I plopped down my bag by the couch before sitting down with a sigh.

Tim kicked off his shoes and laid back against his pillow, glancing over at Alex and chuckling at his already snoring figure. That fight definitely took out a majority of his charm and energy today.

"Well, I guess we better get to bed." Tim hummed, stretching his strong arms above his head, popping his spine before getting comfortable in his pile of blankets.

"Goodnight Allana." He yawned, the lights going out almost instantly.

I stayed silent as I watched him get comfortable in the now dark room, my eyes adjusting to the lighting of the vanilla candles scattered throughout the main room.

It felt odd only hearing that one goodnight. We usually had several between the four of us. Tim, Alex, and me and Ryder. Ryder.

I sighed at the thought of her. I smiled as I remembered her throwing a pillow at Alex that first night I stayed over. The way we all spoke. The way they opened up to help me feel more comfortable. These guys really made me feel welcomed. They made me feel safe and happy. Even in Saint City where I was constantly surrounded by guards and security guards, I never felt this comfortable. It's nice down here. The thought of leaving it makes me almost feel sick. I don't want to leave this place. But, I really don't have a choice anymore.

"Goodnight Tim." I finally said, twisting my body to lay down on the couch, curling up beneath the warm blanket I've slept with the entire time.

It really isn't all that special. It was a heavy, black blanket with some Star Wars pattern on it. It was definitely pretty old based on the somewhat matted fur that covered it. The blankets in my room up in Saint City were way better. Way warmer and heavier. Yet, something about this blanket felt safe. Maybe it's the way it smells like a home instead of a hospital room. Everything down here smelled like that. You could always smell smoke or food or oil. It just smelled so much like nature and like a home down here. For such a threatening, dangerous town, Devil Town felt so nice. Everyone seemed so close. If they weren't close then they had some type of backstory that was always fun to learn about. The stories of these people are so amazing. It's crazy to think about all the innocent, sweet people down here that didn't deserve to live in such a sad area, but at the same time, I can't picture any of them being happy in the higher class cities. These citizens love to work and party and spend time with people. Their friends, their family, their co-workers. These were people who loved people. They loved the small town that kept them all close and somewhat dependent on each other. Devil town was a city for lonely people who needed to connect and looking back on it, I think that's what I needed this whole time. Sure, I had BB and Erika up in Saint City, but even they were closed off. That's just how everyone was up there. Down here? These people had nothing. Nothing but each other. I had never had that. Not since I was younger. It may not have been too long but it feels like ages. It's reached the point where I didn't even remember it until now.

Sure, I'm sad I have to leave, but at least now I can say I've reached that point of connecting. Maybe I'll be able to bring this feeling to my friends. Maybe even bring it up with my father. Maybe that could help everything feel better up there. Maybe.

All these 'maybe's swam around my brain, slowly blurring into unprocessed thoughts as I drifted off, the old fuzzy blanket wrapped around me tightly to help send me into a peaceful slumber.

The next morning came all too soon. I awoke to Tim gently shaking my shoulder to wake me up.

"Hey Princess. Time to wake up. Don't wanna miss your flight do you?" Tim chuckled.

So, there I stood in front of the bathroom window, adjusting my brown coat and combing through my hair. Tim reassured me that it was fine if I kept the clothes he gave me, even if I never wore them again. Of course, I didn't deny it. It might be the last thing I take from this place.

I combed my fingers through my hair a couple more times before sighing and staring at my reflection.

I spun around, examining all the small bits of chipped paint in the wall and the stains in the towels. The various scents of shampoo and conditioner that both Alex and Ryder owned.

I smiled slightly at the sight of it all. It just was so fitting for these two disasters to live together in a wild, busted up house like this.

I turned to glance in the mirror one last time before stepping out of the bathroom to grab my bag.

"Alrighty, ready to go, beautiful?" Alex asked, making me chuckle. I knew he wasn't actually flirting when he said it. You could hear it when he was. He had such a playful tone when flirting that it was so painfully obvious. However, this was different. His voice was soft and he spoke slow. He meant this to be comforting. He said this to try and show he wasn't treating me differently just because I was leaving.

"Yeah. Almost." I hummed. "Can you guys wait outside? I'll be quick, I just need a minute." I said, straightening out my jacket even though I didn't need to.

The two boys looked at each other before turning to me and nodding.

They stepped outside, shutting the door quietly behind them.

I used this as a moment to sit on the couch one last time. I traced my fingers over the stained, grey polyester. I looked down at my feet, smiling at the small cluster of Puffball birds that were gathered around my feet, staring up at me.

I leaned down to pick up one, smiling at the way it rolled around my hands.

"It was fun meeting you all. I have to leave though." I whispered to them, fully aware they didn't understand me.

The one in my hands hopped out of my palms and rolled over to my bag. I watched curiously as it tugged at the zipper of the front pocket, slowly but surely opening it then crawling in.

In about 15 seconds he had grabbed one of my rings and went to run off with it.

"Hey!" I called to it, a small laugh spilling from my lips as I jumped at it, quickly wrangling it in my hands and tugging away the ring.

I watched as it squirmed under the couch and pulled out a small notepad that obviously hadn't been used for a while. There were small bits of paper there, showing that someone had ripped stuff out of it previously before letting it gather dust beneath the couch.

I watched as it struggled to drag it over to me. I grabbed the notebook and looked it over. It really wasn't anything special. Just a small notepad that could almost fit in a pocket if it were just an inch or two slimmer.

I flipped through the pages to see it really was just empty.

I watched the bird, tilting my head in hopes of him giving me some hint as to what he was trying to say. Definitely was weird looking for answers from a bird, but it was early and I didn't see anything wrong with that logic at the moment.

The small bird curled up into a little ball and rolled around me, around the couch and down the hall before bumping into Ryder's door.

I stared at it for a moment, feeling minor anxiety fill my chest at the idea that suddenly filled my head.

I stood up, glancing at the notepad and ring that were currently in my hands before exhaling shakily.

I rushed to the kitchen, digging through the drawers for a pen or pencil.

I pulled one out and started to scribble out words onto the page. I made sure whatever words spilled out were short and somewhat to the point. I didn't really plan any of my words. I just let them pour out till I had a page covered in words. After finishing it, I took a shaky breath and folded it, writing my name on the blank part of the page.

I put the pen down and as silently as possible, creeped over to Ryder's room.

I watched her nervously as I inched over to her dresser.

She was currently laying on her stomach in her messy bed. Her arms were under her black pillow, her dark hair out of it's signature braid and laid out over her pillows and around her shoulders. Her button up was tossed onto the floor by her boots leaving her in her tank top and jeans. It was quite evident she was drooling a bit.

I smiled at the sight before sighing and placing the folded note on her empty dresser before examining the ring in my hand. It was a simple silver ring with a dark blue gem. It wasn't really my favorite ring since it was so dark compared to the jewelry I usually gravitate towards. It was the first piece of jewelry I was planning on selling if I found myself in that situation. But, giving it away instead seemed more fitting in this situation.

I placed the ring on the note, careful not to make a noise before slowly creeping towards the door.

I paused and glanced back at the sleeping beauty in her bed, smiling at the sight. As selfish as it may be, I kinda hope she misses me. It wouldn't be fair if I were to miss her up in Saint City without her missing me too.

I slowly shut the door behind me before, much more confidently walking to the living room and grabbing my bag.

I walked towards the door, glancing around the familiar living room once more before stepping out.

"Ready?" Tim asked, his hands shoved in his coat pockets.

"Yep. I'm ready." I confirmed.   
  
  
  


The walk to the ship was short, only a couple short minutes of silence between us three. When we got there, I smiled at the middle aged female who waved at us from the window.

I sighed and turned to the two boys.

"I'm really glad I got to meet you two." I sighed. "It sucks I won't get to see you guys again."

"Hey, don't say that. We'll see each other eventually. I'm still Ryder's right hand man. We stop by Saint City for important business things. Maybe we'll start working with you if you do end up taking over Saint City." Tim reassured, smiling brightly at me.

I giggled as I nodded.

"Yeah, maybe."

"Hey what about me? You guys rarely ever take me on business trips with you!" Alex exclaimed, throwing his hand up to his chest in mock offense.

"Oh don't worry you big baby, we'll start bringing you along if you behave." Tim chuckled, pulling Alex into a loose headlock.

"Hey, you called me baby!" Alex teased, earning a tightened grip from Tim. "Okay, yes sir." He laughed.

Tim released Alex as I stepped closer and wrapped them both up in a tight hug.

Hopefully Tim was right. I don't know what I'd do if I never saw them again.

We hugged each other for maybe two minutes before I let go. I didn't want the sweet lady in the ship to wait too long.

"Thanks for letting me in with you guys. It meant a lot to me." I confessed, smiling at the two boys.

"Ah, don't worry about it. We'd do it again if you need us to so don't be afraid to drop by if you ever got the chance." Alex said, shrugging casually, faint tears making his eyes glossy.

"I won't." I hummed, leaning in to plant a kiss on his cheek.

The way his eyes shot wide open and his cheeks flushed made me giggle. Definitely the best way to say goodbye.

I stepped onto the ship and waved goodbye to the two, letting the door shut between us.

I kept my eyes on them as the plane took off, the dark lights of the small town slowly fading from my vision.

Goodbye Devil Town. 


	12. ~11~

**Ryder**

  
I felt the small rumble in my throat as I groaned, slowly rolling over in bed and stretching as I awoke. The sun outside shined in through my windows, which I apparently forgot to close, blinding me as I tried to let my eyes adjust.

I pulled my pillow over my head, shutting my eyes and letting myself drift into a half-awake-half-asleep state. I was mostly coherent on what was going on, but I wasn't completely in control of my body at the moment.

It took a bit longer than usual to awaken completely, but eventually I was able to pull my pillow away and slowly sit up, my long, wavy hair hanging around my face.

I looked down at my boots and shirt that lay sprawled on the floor, small Puffball birds snuggled into the holes and spaces in my clothes as they slept.

I yawned as I picked up my boots and shirt, gently shaking the small, cotton ball like creatures out onto the floor.

I slipped on my button down shirt, spacing off as I buttoned it up.

After my freak out on Allana last night, I walked around Devil Town all night. I made sure everyone was getting home and all the shops were closed. I roamed around the abandoned areas in Devil Town and checked for any creatures or monsters lurking around. Anything to stay away from those three for a while.

I loved my friends and as much as I liked the idea of one of them coming to talk to me, I knew it would be better if I was left alone for a bit.

I stayed out until lights out. I would have stayed longer, but I didn't want to risk getting attacked by night stalkers. These creepy, tall, slender beasts that thrive in the dark and fear the light. They're so silent that you have to be wary when out after lights out. Once lights are out, you don't really have an easy escape from these guys. They're pure nightmare fuel for people who fear the dark and/or spiders.

I wandered my way back to my house, creeping in silently so as to not disturb the three people knocked out in my living room.

My eyes adjusted to the dark quickly, allowing me to examine the two boys that lay sprawled out on the floor, lightly snoring and shuffling against the piles of blankets and pillows, and the girl that lay peacefully sleeping on the couch, completely burrowed in her fuzzy blanket.

I smiled slightly at the sight of the three, diverse dorks that lay passed out in the living room.

I creeped around the couch and down the hall, peeling off my boots and top before collapsing into bed, leading up to this moment right now.

I laced up my boots before stepping out of bed, pausing as something shiny caught my eye.

I turn to the dark blue and silver ring that rests on my nightstand atop a small note with the name ' _Allana'_ on it.

I reach over to the small ring, picking it up to examine it, feeling the smooth band and sharp edges of the dark gem before hesitantly placing it back atop the note.

I didn't need that distracting me today.

I stepped out into the living room quietly, grabbing my gloves from the desk in the hallway and slipping them on as I peek around, watching the boys as they rested for a bit longer on the couches.

I tip-toed around behind the couch, gently patting them both on the shoulder, easing them awake.

"Wakey Wakey, boys. It's time for work." I whispered before pulling away and heading out.

I knew that they would be sad. I wasn't the only one who got close to Allana within the short time she stayed with us. She meant a lot to all of us. I knew I was being pretty selfish for sending her away without even letting the boys speak. But, I wasn't thinking at the time. I let my anger get in the way. Again. Way to go, Ryder.

I knew they would be a little down so I left them alone today. I don't imagine they'd really want me around for today. Then again, that could just be my self-deprecating thoughts making me assume the worst.

Either way, I kept my distance for the day. I kept my thoughts short and simple to try and avoid spacing out while working. I tried to help out wherever I could today to keep myself on task.

The day seemed to go buy fast while still taking forever. It felt slow but whenever my task would end it felt like it had only been minutes.

I shoved my hands into my pockets and made my way back home, watching the way the sky filled with a deep red color as the sun slowly set.

I dreaded entering my house and possibly running into Tim and Alex, but I really have no where else to stay.

I took a deep breath as I stepped up to my house, shakily raising my hand and twisting the door knob.

I stepped into the room slowly, looking around and letting out a sigh of relief when I realized there wasn't anyone here yet.

I closed the door behind me, keeping it quiet before rushing to my room, shutting the door behind me.

I felt like such a hermit hiding like this. But, I felt pretty awkward today. Probably because I knew this whole thing was my fault.

I sighed as I sat on the edge of my bed and rubbed my eyes. Today was exhausting and I just wanted to sleep.

I glanced over at the sparkly ring on my dresser, still holding that small note.

I stared at the ring for a couple seconds, Maybe a couple seconds too long before grabbing it and examining it once again.

I really had no reason to stare so intensely at it. I practically memorized it already when I saw it this morning. The thing I didn't memorize though was the note.

I could clearly picture the neat cursive of Allana's signature written on the front of it without any hesitation but the message that lay inside the folded piece of paper was still a mystery to me.

I sighed as I grabbed it, slowly examining it.

I felt my hands start to tremble. Why? I'm not completely sure. She could have written anything in here. An apology, an angered rant telling me how much she hated me, an explanation to maybe get me to change my mind, or maybe just a simple goodbye note. Either way, the thought of opening it terrified me.

After several moments of just staring at the paper in my trembling hands, the small voice in the back of my head started to shout at me.

_"Just do it! Stop being a coward and open it already! It's Allana, even if it is an angry note, she's an angel she can't do much. She won't be too harsh. So just open it, chicken!"_

I groaned overdramatically before quickly flipping it open and taking in the neat cursive.

I examined the cute styled writing before starting to read it.

_'Dear Ryder,_

_I'm sorry for any disturbances I may have caused you during the short time I was staying with you all. I never meant to hurt any of you. I thought my decision to leave was the right one. But, maybe you were right. Maybe I am just being cowardly. Maybe, if I had just stayed silent and stuck around, things would have turned out alright._

_Well, guess it doesn't matter now anyways. I'm already gone by the time you're reading this._

_I'm not sure why I'm really writing this. I guess I just wanted to say thank you._

_I never felt very accepted or normal up in Saint City. It always felt so strict and clean and proper. But, down here? It was messy and wild and scary. Yet, I don't think I've felt safer anywhere else. You, Tim and Alex all made me feel so safe and at home. I never questioned myself when I was down here. You all made me feel like one of you! Like I really belonged. I hadn't felt that before._

_So, thank you. And I'm sorry if I ever betrayed your trust. If at all possible, I hope to make it up to you one day. All of you._

_With Love, Allana <3" _

  
I felt a small smile creep onto my face as I read the signature sign off. I could picture Allana's slim, soft face crack into a shy smile as she doodled the small heart by her name before closing it and placing it on my desk.

The thought of that made my heart ache and stomach flip.

I slipped the ring onto my middle finger and smiled.

I listened as the front door creaked open and a couple faint voices entered the main room.

I quickly hopped up, clutching the note tightly and exited the room, rushing out to talk to the two boys as they entered.

"Alex, Tim!" I called as I ran out, throwing myself onto the couch to sit right in front of them.

"I totally messed up." I admitted, feeling a bit of discomfort at admitting it but I knew I had so why hide it?

"What are you talking about?" Tim asked.

"I know I was being emotional and crazy when I sent Allana away. I realize that now." I sighed, combing my fingers through my hair.

"I may still feel a little betrayed but I was wrong, I know I was. We can't leave her up there. We have to get her back." I said, watching as large grins spread across their faces.

They were silently looking at each other for a couple moments as if they were communicating telepathically before turning to me once again.

"We're in." They stated, those eyes filled with determination.

I chuckled and jumped up, giving them both a tight hug before rushing over to the kitchen and grabbing the phone that was rarely used there.

I dialed in that number I had memorized long ago before listening to it ring.

I could almost clearly picture that girl with blonde and black hair hopping onto the counter of her little shop, popping her bright pink bubblegum as she answered the phone.

"Hello, Rose's Jewel shop, how can I help you today?" Her young, signature voice slipped through the receiver.

"Rose! Hey, It's Ryder."

"Ryder! Hey girlie! What's up?"

"Hey, I need a huge favor from you." 


	13. ~12~

**Ryder**

  
I let out a small exhale as I stepped off the plane, adjusting my white jacket and taking in the sights of the familiar, bright white city.

"Welp, here we are fellas." I stated, turning to face the two boys as they hopped off the plane, shutting the plug door behind them.

We definitely didn't look like we fit in. But, we only had a couple pieces of white clothing down in Devil Town so we were trying our best to blend in.

"Jeez, either it is really cold in Devil Town or it's just extremely warm up here." Alex commented, letting his jacket slip off his shoulders and hang around his elbows instead.

"It's both." Tim stated simply before facing me once again.

"Alright boss. What's the first step?" He asked, shoving his strong hands into his dark jean pockets.

"Alright, well first we need to get out of these clothes. I can already feel how much we stick out." I stated, fidgeting with my sleeves as I glanced around the mostly empty streets.

"Where is everyone?" Alex asked, stepping up closer to me to examine the fancy but quiet city.

"Either they go to sleep really early or they're celebrating something." I said. I remembered how when they throw parties it's usually at Stephan's fancy mansion instead of out in the streets like we do down in Devil Town. Celebrations don't seem like they'd be too rare up here, but what would they even be celebrating?

"Allana!" Tim suddenly exclaimed, catching my attention. "She was missing for at least two weeks. Her family is probably celebrating the return of their princess." Tim explained, stepping forward to stand next to me as well.

"Oh shit you might be right!" I laughed. "Well then, I guess that means we're gonna have to get ready for a party, guys."

"Yes!" Alex cheered before turning and walking backwards down the sidewalk.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go find a store and start shopping!" He laughs before turning and rushing off.

"Hello, I'm Erika, Welcome to "Better You" let me know if you need any help." The blonde girl stated, sounding painfully uninterested.

I couldn't help but chuckle at the relatable tone in her voice.

"Actually yeah, I have a question. By any chance is there a party going on tonight?" I asked, leaning forward and resting my elbows on the counter.

Her brown eyes lifted up from the counter to meet mine before she pushes away from the counter, her tall, rolling chair sliding away from the counter. Her eyes had a certain look. A mix of fear and confusion. In a somewhat dark way it made me giggle. I knew exactly why she was looking at me like that. She knows exactly who I am.

"Don't worry we aren't here to rob you guys or anything. Just on a little mission. Now, is there a party tonight?" I repeated, tilting my head at her as she watched me, her shoulders tense.

"Uhm. Yeah? They're celebrating the return of Allana." She explained, her voice slightly trembling.

"Right Right." I hummed, glancing around the shop, watching as Alex and Tim wandered around and examined the dresses and suits all over the place before turning to the nervous blonde once again.

"You said your name was Erika, yes?"

"Yeah?" She asked, her muscles relaxing just slightly.

"You're Allana's friend, aren't you?" I pointed my finger towards her as I thought back on that conversation with Allana. She had started talking about her friends and family back here after we learned about her true identity and decided to ask more about her life up here. She had many good things to say about Erika down there. I can vaguely remember her saying she was a cashier at a shop in Saint City.

"Yeah! How did you know?" She asked, leaning forward in her seat, now a lot more relaxed.

"Allana may have told me something about you." I hummed, shrugging casually.

She raised an eyebrow at me before lightly gasping.

"So she was in Devil Town! I knew it!" She exclaimed.

I laughed but hurried to hush her.

"Shhhh. But yeah she was. We took care of her while she was down there." I elaborated, chuckling at the bright look in her dark eyes. "However, I'm the reason she came back and I realized I couldn't let her stay. But we can't just strut in there looking like this. Could you help us out?" I asked.

"Yes! Absolutely!" She says, dropping her magazine onto the counter and hopping out of her seat. Jeez, why are all Saint City people so tall?

"Alright, so you need something fancy to go into that party with, correct?" She clarified, strutting over to the racks of clothing, her heels hitting the tile floor with soft tapping sounds.

"Correct."

"Alrighty. Then I can do that." she hums, scrolling through the dozens of racks and shelves.

"Actually, I also need you to make sure it's something I can move in. If things go wrong, I wanna make sure I can get away. Same for those boys over there." I said, motioning towards the two out of place men that were playing around with some silver necklaces at the other side of the shop.

"Alright, I can definitely do that." She hummed. I gave her a quick thumbs up as well as our sizes before letting her wander off to do her work.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Woah! We look jiggy as fuck." Alex exclaimed, laughing as he examined his shiny, silver suit and slicked back hair.

Tim laughed at Alex's old school terminology as he adjusted his golden cufflink, his once long hair now cut into a more mature, clean look.

"Yeah this is amazing." I laughed. I never was one for dressing up, but this was an exception. The dress was white with just the slightest hint of blue in it. It was an asymmetrical skirt that was super short in the front and long in the back and around the sides. It was attached to another, very light and loose white skirt underneath it at the waistband with velcro. In case if the fabric felt too heavy while she had to make some sort of magic escape, she could easily tear off the top layer of skirt and get away easier.

It also was a two piece so it was a skirt with a tight, cropped top leaving my stomach exposed. Definitely very breathable and easy to move in. I even stretched and hopped around in it a couple times to test it. Not a single problem.

Erika was also nice enough to curl my hair and tie it up neatly for me to keep it out of my face and still fit in with the crowd. She even did our makeup! Glitter and rhinestones littered our faces in different, bright colors to stand out against our white clothes. In the mirror, we looked almost like we belonged here. Even if deep down we knew we really didn't

"This is awesome, Erika! Thank you so much." I thanked her, grabbing her hands and squeezing them tightly.

"Of course. No problem. I'd do anything for my best friend." She hummed.

"I promise, if we do get away with her this time, we'll bring her by to visit you often. I could tell she missed you a bit. I promise we won't keep you all too far apart."

"Thank you." She hummed. "Be careful. There's a lot of people there. Try not to get caught." She hummed before quickly ushering us to the door.

"Now hurry, don't want to run out of time now, do you?" She chuckled, shoving us out and locking the door behind us.

"Alrighty then. Step 1. Get disguises? Check." I hummed.

"So, step 2?" Tim asked, crossing his strong arms over his chest.

"Step 2: Get inside." I stated.

"Well what are we waiting for? The party awaits us, lady and gentleman." Alex said with a playful posh accent.

~~~~~~

"Alright, so step 2. Get inside. Completed. Step 3: Find Allana." I whispered to Tim, my arm wrapped around his, keeping us interlocked at the elbows.

"Alright. Remember, you talk like a bro but, you're in Saint City. You can't do that here." Tim said, lightly nudging me.

"Well damn, how do you want me to talk? Should I speak in an accent?" I whispered to him, forcing a dramatic british accent, even worse than Alex's.

I guess my whisper wasn't as quiet as I hoped because Alex burst into small snickers.

"You know what I mean, missy. Just don't call anyone man or bro, 'aight?"

"Aight, Sir." I mocked him before looking forward to the dance hall.

The room was filled with tailcoat wearing men and poofy dress wearing women. They spun around the dance floor and chatted happily around the walls as they eagerly awaited the arrival of their princess.

I tugged on Tim's arm just a bit so we could start walking one way.

"Alex, are you alright if we split up? You go around that way and we go over here? You might be able to slip through a bit easier without any odd looks." I whispered to him, lightly nudging him with my free arm.

"Yeah sure." He agreed nonchalantly.

"Alright, let us know if you find her. Try not to get into too much trouble, alright?"

"No promises." He smirked, throwing us a wink before turning and waltzing off in the other direction.

"Let's pray he doesn't get us kicked out of here before we even see Allana." Tim whispered to me, slightly rolling his eyes before we continued to examine the individuals in the room.

It was almost overwhelming just how full the ballroom was. It was so large you wouldn't believe it was just a separate room in one house. Bigger than the rundown, abandoned movie theatre down in Devil Town or the mall in Fairhope. Fancy champagne glasses clinked together at separate sides of the large ballroom, layer skirts flew and twirled around the floor as the ladies danced with their partners and fancy dance shoes tapped along the floor with them. Faces with extravagant makeup occasionally would catch my eye. I even made eye contact with a man as he walked by. The skin around his eye and along his cheekbones had makeup that reminded me of a tiger. A beautiful but bold ombre of reds and oranges littered with tiger stripes. The sharp edges of his facial features were highlighted a bright white to accent it even more. It almost looked like it could have been a mask from just how much it contrasted against his skin. We made eye contact and he gave me a polite nod along with a smile before continuing to walk off.

It was almost like something you'd see in a disney movie. It was almost too beautiful to be real. It was even more perfect with all the sparkly, shiny jewelry that occasionally would catch the light of the high chandeliers along with the ballroom music that played from speakers too bland to be noticed in the room full of beautiful people.

"I can't spot her anywhere. Do you think she isn't coming?" I asked, leaning into Tim.

"No way. How can you miss out on your own return party? That kinda destroys the whole purpose." Tim explains, earning a small chuckle from me.

"I guess you're right. But how long do we have to wait? I feel so out of place already." I tried hard not to sound too whiny with that sentence. This wasn't about me. But, I feared that our cover would be blown way too fast and we wouldn't get a chance to see Allana before being thrown out or even worse, thrown in jail for crashing the party or something.

"Don't fret. You'll be fine. You blend right in.

"Excuse me." A deep familiar voice spoke, a strong hand tapping me on my shoulder. The simple action made my heart jump up into my throat.

I turned to face the man and felt my blood turn to ice.

A tall, faintly tanned man with dark eyes stared down at me. His black hair was slicked back with a glittery gel and you could faintly see a dark tint of skin around his right eye and cheekbones beneath what was probably supposed to be a good foundation job.

Dae.

"May I have this dance?" he asked, motioning towards the busy dancefloor.

"Okay, maybe you blend in a little too much." Tim whispered before lightly nudging me forward towards Dae.

"Oh uhm." I paused, trying to come up with an excuse. I'm usually good at that but I'm so far out of my element that even breathing feels out of place.

"I'm really not much of a dancer." I finally spat out after a couple moments of awkward stuttering and fumbling.

"Well you can't be too terrible. I can teach you along the way. Come." He urged me forward with his gloved hand.

I really don't think he'll take no for an answer. And based on the looks the ladies walking by give him, he's a hot topic here. If I reject him then I'll definitely stick out.

I debated it in my head for a moment before silently agreeing by taking his hand and letting him lead me to the center of the ballroom.

I felt a bit awkward being so close to a man I just punched only a couple days ago. Luckily though, he doesn't seem to know. Or, at least I hope he doesn't

He helped me figure out the placement of my hands before leading us in a dance.

"I don't believe we've met. I'm Kim Dae Sung. But, most call me Dae." He greets himself.

I examine his face, taking in the bright silver makeup all over his face. Bold strokes of white and silver follow the shape of his eyes and the upwards tilt of his cheekbones, making his dark eyes seem even more intimidating. White, glittery dots lay along the bridge of his nose as well along with a faint highlighter that makes it seem brighter than it already is.

"What is your name?" He asks, giving me a smile, although it looked a bit more like a smirk than a genuine smile. That could just be my overactive imagination.

"My name?" I paused, trying to come up with something quick. "Elyse." I spit out.

"Elyse?" He asks, coercing me into continuing.

"Don't expect me to get into last names just yet, I barely met you." I joke, slightly blushing as I realize I totally just broke out of the proper tone in my voice just to say an impulsive joke.

Luckily for me, he didn't take it wrongly. In fact, he laughed lightly at the snark in my voice.

"Hm. Alright. I'll reel it back." He replies, twirling me around.

This Dae didn't seem like a bad guy. Maybe he wasn't as terrible as I thought.

"May I ask, what is with the discoloration around your eye?" I asked, curious to what he might say.

"Oh that?" He hummed, shrugging.

"I had a bit of an incident with a beast down in Devil Town." He replies.

A whaaat?

"Oh, a beast you say? Like, a monster or an animal?" I tried to clarify.

"No nothing like that. Just a little girl who wanted to pick a fight." He chuckles.

Little girl. Again with the Little Girl comment.

"I see." I replied sweetly, stepping forward a couple seconds early to step on his fancy black shoes, earning a muttered 'Ow' from Dae.

"Whoops. My apologies." I hummed, stepping back, trying to keep my momentarily satisfied smile to myself.

"It's alright." He said, his voice just barely sounding annoyed. I tried to catch his eyes but they seemed to be somewhere else.

I cleared my throat somewhat aggressively, causing him to look up once again.

"Wow. We aren't even on a first name basis and you're already letting your eyes wander. Eyes up here, Dae Sung." I said, earning a chuckle from him.

"Yes, of course. My apologies."

And with that, the song was over and our dance had ended finally.

"Well, I best be off. I have a bit of business to do. Thank you for the dance, m'lady." He said, squeezing my right hand before placing a kiss on the back of it, causing me to tense in an odd mix of discomfort and embarrassment.

I glanced over to see Tim watching us closely, a small, playful grin on his face as he watched my momentary panic.

"Hopefully we may dance again, Miss Elyse." He said before turning and walking away.

I quickly walked over to Tim, shaking my hands as if I were shaking water off of them.

"Wow. What a performance." 'Tim said, earning a subtle kick to the shin from me.

"Shut up. I am extremely hurt that you didn't help me back there." I aggressively whispered, earning another chuckle from him.

"What? You looked like you had it under control so I let you take control." He explained, shrugging nonchalantly.

"Oh I-" Before I could even attempt to finish that sentence, he shoved a cookie from the snack table nearby into my mouth.

"Shh. Just eat the cookie and keep a lookout. I heard that Allana might be showing soon."

I perked up at that and quickly looked around, pleading with the universe that she'd show soon.

Just like that, the music quieted and gasps filled the room as they stared at the top of the staircase where a tall girl in a huge dress stood.

Allana. 


	14. ~13~

**Allana**

I sighed as I adjusted the top of my dress, twisting it around my stomach so it lay smoother. I gazed into my mirror as I stroked my fingers through my hair, watching the way it falls around my face. I finally had a really nice shower once I returned. My hair was practically glowing, it was so clean. I liked it, but it felt somewhat odd since I had gotten used to my hair being a little more frizzy and messy down there. I had showered down in Devil Town, but the water wasn’t the warmest so it was hard to take a long, good shower.   
The morning I returned, my father was thrilled to see me alive and okay.   
He was definitely in a rush to find out what happened and where I had gone. However, when I tried to respond he would interrupt me or sometimes even himself to ask more questions or just ramble about how much he missed me.  
My mother didn’t seem as excited but she at least said she was glad I was back and safe.   
It was odd but in a good way. It felt nice being appreciated and being reminded that he did love me, although he just wasn’t the best at showing it very often.   
That night my father followed me around all day, trying to make sure I knew he cared or something.   
It felt a bit uncomfortable at some point.   
However, I let him obsess over me for the day until it was time for us to head to bed. He informed me of the dance that was to take place the next day to celebrate my return.   
Although I really wasn’t sure I had the energy to actually go to a party like that, I didn’t want to disappoint my father. My father seems happy to see me and I won’t take this away from him.   
That leaves me here, standing before my tall mirror and taking in the view of me in my large ball gown.   
The sleeves hung off my shoulders and had long sleeves beneath them and the skirt was probably way bigger than necessary. It had about 3 or 4 layers on it. It was pretty heavy. But, nothing I’m not used to, I guess.   
Looking in the mirror made me realize how different I looked right now.   
I had gotten used to my clothing style and way of holding myself when down in Devil Town.   
Sure, I was only there for a couple weeks, but I really had settled in quickly.   
Dressing so loosely and comfortably was such a freeing experience. I know, somewhat odd, but it wasn't just that.   
Living in a world like that was so amazing. Sure, it was a tad bit difficult to get used to working and waking up early and dealing with the lack of power late at night, but it felt amazing.   
As selfish as it sounds, I loved living without someone at my every beck and call. Something about being able to do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted was so comfortable for me.   
When eating dinner with the gang down there, I instantly assumed they sat at a dinner table and ate together. I can't even imagine how surprised I looked when I saw the three of them getting comfortable in random areas in the main room. Some examples being Ryder sitting up on an empty counter and Tim sitting on the couch while Alex sat on the floor. I had struggled to figure out what felt more comfortable but after that first day, I settled into the little routine.   
Sleeping on a small, old couch wasn't the most comfortable, but just being given that opportunity felt nice.   
I had actually gotten so used to it that sleeping on my own bed last night felt uncomfortable.   
That thought made me focus on the sight before me once again: Me standing in front of my fancy, full length mirror.   
I sighed as I sat on my bed, resting my chin in my hands.   
Snow hopped up on my bed, nuzzling into my side with a whine.   
I felt bad when I returned home and saw Snow bounding around my room, happy to see   
me. I felt bad for leaving him behind, but I couldn't think of a way to take him with me without either A. Getting caught by one town or the other, or B. Putting him at risk. I had no idea what kind of situation I'd turn up in if I had ended up in Fairhope, and it would have been even worse when I turned up in Devil Town. I don't think he would have been very comfortable down there.   
I let my hands shift down to his soft, thick fur to gently pet it down.   
Although I was somewhat sad to be back here, I was glad to see Snow again. He always made me feel better.   
I glanced up into the tall mirror again, staring at my reflection before sighing and gazing down at my hand, examining the fancy engagement ring.   
I never wore it down in Devil Town.   
Even after Ryder said she had no problem with me wearing it after she discovered who I really was, I never put it on again. I didn’t like how it made me feel. When I was down there I really didn’t need to wear it. There was no requirement saying I had to wear jewelry like there was up in Saint City. I got to do and wear whatever I want so why wear a ring I didn’t even originally want? Plus, it reminded me of Dae and all that was probably going on up in Saint City and I didn’t want that. I didn’t want to regret my decision to run away. Then again, it might have been easier that way. At least it wouldn’t have sucked as much being sent back home.   
I guess I really can’t complain much though. That wouldn’t be fair to the others. I live in Saint City, for crying out loud! I have anything I could possibly want! It isn’t fair of me to try and complain.   
With that being said, I stood up and walked over to my mirror, making sure I looked picture perfect before grabbing the small tiara my father brought me earlier off the vanity.   
It is somewhat cheesy considering we aren’t actually royalty. I guess it’s just for the aesthetic. That thought makes me giggle.   
“No wonder they always called me Princess.” I muttered to myself before slipping on over my dark hair, making sure it was securely placed before turning to Snow.   
“How do I look?” I asked Snow, fully aware he couldn’t give a proper answer.   
Snow gave a small bark in response, his tail wagging happily as he hops off my bed, his little silver vest sending small lights around the room as the light reflected off of him.   
“I’ll take that as a positive answer.” I hummed before turning to my door.   
I could hear the beautiful music out in the ballroom lightly bouncing around the walls, leading up to my room.   
“Alright. You ready?” I asked Snow, smiling as he nuzzled into my hand.   
“Okay then. Let’s go” 

  
  
“Ladies and gentlemen, please give a nice round of applause for Miss Allana Starwell.” A female says through the speakers as I take a deep breath and start my descend down the long stairs.   
Eyes from every corner of the room watch me as I take each step carefully. Although it was only for a short while, I seem to have lost confidence in my ability to wear heels.   
I listened to the cheers and applause from the large crowd of people apparently ‘relieved’ I had returned.   
It felt odd to be adored like this again. It wasn’t terrible, it was actually quite nice but far different from what I was planning on growing accustomed to down in Devil Town.   
I smile at a certain memory that pops up in my mind.   
When Ryder was helping me find where I felt best working, I was in a constant state of shock to find out that she had helped out in basically every shop there. The idea of the leader of Devil Town assisting in basic day to day things like trying to fix up busted cars or helping bake food for people that didn’t know how to or didn’t have the time. Basic things like that never even crossed my mind of being normal down there. I grew up afraid of what went on down there. I thought they named it Devil Town because it was like hell! I thought Ryder was their version of the devil and she would command them to do all things bad or something.   
Thinking on it now, it sounds like some silly fable told to kids to keep them from getting in trouble.   
‘You better behave or the demons from Devil Town will come get you!’   
I giggled at the thought and rolled my eyes before focusing on the large crowd of people, wishing me good fortune in my ‘marriage’ and sharing their relief that I hadn’t been attacked down in Devil Town.   
I wanted to correct those that talked down on the small city, but I stayed silent.  
This is Saint City afterall. I have to bite my tongue to avoid getting in trouble.   


~~~~~~~~~~~

“It really is wonderful to see you again, Miss Starwell.” BB spoke, taking a sip of her bubbly champagne.   
Although I wasn’t the biggest fan of having these large parties, it was always nice to see BB. These were one of the few times she’s allowed to leave her little office area and actually get out.   
It’s fun to see her in real life in actual color. BB is the exact opposite of what she looks like in her holograms. The colors in the holograms are always some bluish-greenish color. In reality, she is a very warm toned woman with golden brown eyes. She’s very beautiful and has the exact energy you’d expect her to have when she speaks.   
“Yeah. Likewise.” I replied, gently fidgeting with the ring on my left hand.   
BB must have noticed my discomfort based on the way she gently grabs my hand and squeezes it.  
“I’m so sorry your plan didn’t work out. I would help you out if I could.” she says, offering me a small smile.   
I examined her sharply manicured nails before looking up to face her.   
“I know you would.” I smiled at her. “However, this is where I belong. I should just accept that I suppose.” I shrugged.   
She gives me a small smile before giving me a one armed hug.   
“Whatever happens, you’ll be alright.” she says.   
Deep down, I wasn’t too sure about that. But, on the surface, I couldn’t help but smile and nod. Her words were just so genuine.   
“Thanks, BB” I replied.   
Her soft smile turned into her little confident smirk as she pats my shoulder gently.   
“Now go on, you don’t want to miss out on all the other wonderful people here.” She says, turning around to get another drink, her slim, glittery dress sparkling as she moves.   
I chuckled before turning and making my way through the ballroom, glancing around for some familiar faces.   
I spot a familiar girl with short blonde hair, happily chatting with a group of boys around our age.   
She turns her brown eyes to face my direction, a small, momentarily shocked expression on her face as she spots me before smiling brightly and waving at me excitedly. She reminds me a tad bit of a child when she’s excited. I could see her layered skirt swishing around a bit as she bounced lightly.   
I lightly wave back, giggling as Erika blows me a playful kiss before going back to chatting amongst the boys.   
With that, I’m back to searching around the ballroom for anybody to entertain me. Often, I am stopped by party goers who are eager to converse with me. I put on a sparkling smile and converse with as many as I can bring myself to.   
During what may possible be my 15th conversation with a little old lady, I spot someone out of the corner of my eye that seems to stand out.   
A girl stands by the snack table, quietly conversing with a tall, strong, tanned man. Her hair is black and reaches down to her hips. The simple color of her hair is enough to contrast against her white dress. But, it isn’t just her hair. Her whole vibe is just off. It isn’t something you see in Saint City. The way she stands and holds her drink as she speaks just doesn’t belong here.   
I quickly finished my conversation with the women I had been standing with for the past couple minutes before walking over to the duo by the snack table.   
“Uhm.. Excuse me.” I spoke to them, lightly waving my hand beside them to catch their attention.   
Two pairs of brown eyes turned to look at me.  
“Ryder! Tim!” I cheered, lightly blushing as Ryder jumped forward, reaching up and quickly pressing a finger to my lips, lightly shushing me.   
She quickly jumped back to make sure nobody saw that before clearing her throat.   
“Miss Starwell.” Ryder says, lightly bowing her head out of respect before standing straight again.   
“May we borrow you for a quick moment?” She asks without waiting for an answer as she grabs Tim’s arm and starts to drag him with her, obviously expecting me to follow.   
So, I did. 


	15. ~14~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is long i apologize lmao i got carried away

**Allana**

I followed the due through the crowd, making sure to be quick and not let myself get pulled away by other party-goers. 

I watched as Tim reached a strong arm out towards a shorter, slightly less bulky boy along with him. By the somewhat whiny sound he made at being pulled away from the girl he was previously chatting with, I instantly knew it was Alex. 

I watched as they snuck down into a partially empty hall and slipped into a randomly unlocked door. 

Luckily for us, it was an empty guest room of sorts. More of a meeting room but much more casual. It was very clean and had a couch and some extra chairs. I was slightly shocked to see no one was there, but I didn’t let that distract me for long. 

“Guys? What are you three doing here?!” I asked. I was very concerned. I knew my father would not want to see any of them here, but I couldn’t stop myself from smiling at the fact that they were here! Actually here! And they didn’t seem to be here to cause trouble!

“Listen, Allana.” Ryder started, tucking her blue bangs back behind her ear as she sighed and looked up at me. 

“I messed up.” she stated bluntly. 

I raised an eyebrow at that.

“I know I overreacted.” She groaned. “I didn’t mean to. I just, I really like you, ya know? Tim and Alex have been my only real friends since...well since forever ago.” She rambled, her hands waving around in front of her in a way to try and get her point across, I assumed. 

“When you said you were thinking of leaving, I just got mad. I didn’t want you to leave. I thought that maybe if I made you leave, it would make me feel better, ya know? It would have been on my terms that you left and not the other way around.” She sighed, her eyes focusing on the floor as she played with a long strand of her black hair. 

“I guess I tend to get a little defensive sometimes.” She hummed before finally looking up to make eye contact with me again. 

“What I’m trying to say is I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have freaked out on you like that and I’m sorry that you had to come back here in the first place. And maybe, if you can forgive me, maybe you could come back with us?”

I watched as she shifted from foot-to-foot, anxiously waiting for me to say something. 

I couldn’t stop myself from smiling. Not only was I happy to hear they wanted me back home, but some prideful, overly confident side of me was kind of overjoyed to see Ryder apologize. Ryder never seemed to make mistakes when we were down there in Devil Town and when she did, they were small and never needed an apology. Plus, the thought of someone as stubborn as Ryder actually admitting she was wrong about something? I giggled at that thought. Never thought I’d see the day. 

Without thinking about it, I jumped forward and hugged all three of them as tight as I possibly could, smiling at the way they stumbled. 

“Of course I’ll go back with you!” I squealed, smiling at the cheers that earned from the boys. 

The three cheered as they spun me around in joy. I was somewhat shocked that Alex did it too. That’s probably the most energy I’ve gotten out of him ever. 

“Alright Alright.” Ryder finally cut in, laughing as she split the hug. 

“Let’s get out of here. As much as I enjoy the food up here, I’d much rather be in Devil Town than up here.” She chuckles, earning small sounds of agreement from the other two. 

“Wait, but what about my father?” I asked.

Sure, I didn’t like it up here and sure I wasn’t the closest with my father, but I couldn’t just leave again. He looked so relieved to have me back and I just don’t want him to worry again. I owe it to him to at least tell him how I feel and tell him where I’m going. He can’t tell me what to do. So, even if he doesn’t want me to go, that won’t stop me. But, it only seems fair to tell him. Besides, it’ll hopefully help avoid another Dae incident. 

I could see the hesitance on all their faces. 

“Look, Allana, I know you don’t want him to worry, but I don’t think we have time for that right now.” Ryder says, her hand just an inch away from the doorknob. 

She must have seen the disappointment on my face because she stepped away from the door and walked over to me to grab my hand. 

“Hey, I promise after a day or two of being in Devil Town we can come back and say whatever you need to say. But, right now there’s just too many people and if we don’t get out now, we might not get another chance. I could tell people were starting to notice that we stood out. Okay?” she asked, slightly tilting her head at me 

I considered it for a moment before sighing and giving a curt nod. 

“Fine.” I sighed. I wanted to be upset but I knew she was right. Ryder had gone through escaping Saint City fairly often to know what she was talking about so I just listened. 

“Come on. Let’s get out of here as fast as we can.” She chuckles, jogging back over to the door. 

With that they exited the room, glancing around as casually as they possibly could as they entered the ballroom once again. 

The four couldn’t help but feel a tad bit overwhelmed by the task at hand. They had to escape this big Saint City palace filled with people with the princess that, spoiler alert, just returned! It isn’t gonna be easy. There’s no way. 

“Alright, here’s the plan. We will wander around and leave through the normal doors because where else would we go honestly?” Ryder asks, raising an eyebrow. Of course, she had to include at least a little sass in her game plan. 

“Anyways. We’ll wander outside and Allana can go back upstairs to whatever room has that gnarly balcony and slip down the stairs there.” Ryder explained. 

“Wait, there’s stairs there?” I asked. 

“Yeah? They’re like attached underneath to use as an emergency escape or something.” Ryder explained, looking just as confused as I did over the fact that I didn’t know that. 

“Okay well, whatever. Good plan but there’s a problem.” I groaned. “How am I gonna get up there? My mother will not be pleased catching me trying to get away, ya know? How do I get away without seeming too… suspicious?” I asked.

They all seemed to question that for a minute. 

“Don’t you have a dog?” Alex suddenly perked up, a strand of his dark hair dropping in front of his eyes. 

“Uhmm...yeah? Why?” I asked, not sure what he had in mind. 

“Okay but like, what if you find a way to send him running? Like ‘accidentally’ chucking a treat up the stairs and you can use that as an excuse to go chase after him, ya know?” Alex explained.

“Hey, yeah! That might work perfectly.” Tim said, lightly patting Alex on the shoulder. 

“Wow praise from Tim. What a rare occurrence.” he jokes, earning a light shove from the darker male. 

“Okay. That might work but, these are Saint Wolves. They are probably the smartest, most well-trained dogs in our world right now.” I said, watching as they instantly went back into thinking mode. 

“Well, that might be even better! You can tell him exactly what he’s supposed to do, ya know? Make sure he runs and doesn’t stop when you or anybody else calls him so you have an excuse to chase him and not just call him back to your side, yeah?” Tim adds, fidgeting with his sparkly cuff links. 

“Yeah! That’s perfect. As much as I’d love to keep brainstorming, the other guests seem a bit impatient with us taking their princess’ time so let’s go with that. Come on.” Ryder said, grabbing onto her boys’ arms and tugging them away. 

“Good luck, Allana.” She whispered, throwing me a quick wink before wandering off with the other two. 

Alrighty. Plan “Escape Saint City (Again)” is a go. 

~~~~~~~~~~~

I lightly toyed with the ring around my finger as I wandered around the ballroom, looking for Snow. It really shouldn’t be hard. It’s a huge white wolf with a shimmery vest on. How do you miss that?!

Just as that thought entered my mind, I felt something nuzzle into the back of my knees. 

I turned and smiled as I saw Snow burying himself in all the layers of fabric. 

“There you are, boy. I’ve been looking for you.” I muttered, leading over to the edge of the dance floor and kneeling down to speak to him. 

As silly as it may seem, these wolves are very smart and grasp basic english. If explained simply, they seem to have very little issue following orders. So, that’s what I did. 

I explained to him our plan as simply as I possibly could and luckily he seemed to get it. 

I stood up and grabbed a small cookie from the snack table and walked a bit closer to the stairs and tossed it up, making sure it went all the way to the top. 

“Snow!” I called to him as he started running, trying to hide my smile as he did just as he was instructed and bolted up the fancy staircase. 

I excused myself as I rushed up the stairs, following him down the hall that led to my parents bedroom. 

As soon as we got there I smiled and scratched him behind the ears, just the way he liked. 

“You’re such a good boy, Snow!” I whispered to him, giggling as he rolled over, letting me scratch his belly before I quickly stood up again. 

“Alright, come on.” I hummed before carefully opening my parents room door. 

I examined the gold decals that decorated the ceiling of their bedroom. They were the same shade of the lovely comforter over their bed that took up half the wall. A California King sized bed that made it easy for the two to not get close when they were asleep. 

The entire room was pretty empty. There were a couple pictures on their dressers and on the walls along with several medals and awards. 

Other than that, the room had very little personalizing items. 

I sighed at the sight of it all before quickly rushing over to their balcony doors, throwing them open and looking over the edge. 

Down below, I smiled at the sight of my three friends, waiting for me close to the wall of the tall building, not wanting to be spotted through the windows too much. 

“There she is!” Tim chuckled, a fond smile on his face as he looked up at me. 

“The hook for the latter is right over there.” Ryder called up to me as quietly as possible, pointing up towards the edge of the balcony to my right side. 

I kneeled down and examined the edge of the balcony through the small, detailed bars. 

Along the edge of the balcony floor there were small gold pieces around the edge, giving it a little pattern. However, while examining the area Ryder pointed to, I notice something. I noticed one of the little pieces looked a bit loose and just seemed a bit thicker than the other pieces. 

I wrapped two of my fingers around the cold metal and pulled it up, watching as the hook lifted up over the small ‘screw’ that was keeping the piece in. I let it loose and watched as a white, metal ladder fell loose, similar to that of an attic. 

I smiled at the cheers the three down below me gave me.

“Yeah! You did it!” Ryder cheered, smiling up at me. 

“Crawl over the edge and climb down the latter. But, please be careful! You can’t be breakin legs now.” She chuckles, standing at the bottom of the ladder with Tim and Alex, looking out to make sure I didn’t fall. 

I looked over the railing at the grass outside and felt my breath catch. It wasn’t too high really. Maybe two of me stacked on top of each other but, that’s still tall enough to break something. 

The setup of the latter was a tad bit inconvenient with it being built underneath the balcony. But, you gotta do what you gotta do, I guess. 

I took a deep breath and hauled myself up onto the balcony rails. 

I could already feel my hands trembling with anxiety as I looked down below me. Not only was I nervous to be up so high, but I was trying to maneuver around in heels and a skirt about 20x the width of my waist. It wasn’t exactly easy. 

I groaned as I tried to step forward, feeling myself tremble. What if I miss the step and fall? What if I get caught on the latter and cause a commotion and get us all in trouble?! 

I sighed loudly as I pushed myself back up onto the rails. 

“Hold on!” I called down before lifting up my feet, slipping off the shiny silver heels. 

“Look out below!” She calls again before tossing the shoes out over the edge. 

She giggled as the three jumped back, narrowly avoiding a shoe to the face. 

With that I took another deep breath and slowly reached over to the latter with my feet, sighing as I felt the cold metal beneath my toes before slowly lowering myself from the rails. 

I made sure my feet were firmly planted before releasing my grip on the balcony rails. 

I stepped down each small step as quickly as possible. Once I reached the last three steps I just jumped down, lightly stumbling but keeping myself standing. 

I smiled at the three as they each gave small cheers before quickly glancing around. 

“Come on, let’s get out of here.” Tim chuckled, him and Alex already eagerly jogging down the sidewalk. 

“Hey Ryder!” I called to her before she could get too far ahead. 

“Yeah?” She asked, turning to face me. 

“I was wondering…” I took a small breath before smiling at her. “Did you ever wear the ring I left?” 

It seemed like a silly question, but I really wanted to know! I wouldn’t be upset if she hadn’t but I would have loved to know if she had. 

“Of course I did! See?” She said, lifting her left hand before quickly pausing and staring at her hand. 

“Wait… Where…. Where is my ring?” She asked, glancing around at the grass, patting down the sides of her skirt and front of her top as if she has pockets she could lose them in. 

“What’s going on?” Tim asked, jogging back over to us. 

“I can’t find my ring.” Ryder said, sounding somewhat disappointed. She didn't sound too panicked but you could hear the minor hint of fear as she spoke to Tim. 

“Oh, I’m sorry. Is this what you’re looking for?” A deep male voice asked from behind me. 

I quickly turned to see who was behind me. 

A tall figure in a shimmery suit and dark hair stared back at us, the ring I left Ryder in his hand. 

Ryder growled slightly at the sight of him, charging at him without thinking only for him to snatch her up by the waist, throwing her over his shoulder and keeping her there. 

“Hey! Let her go!” Alex called, jumping at him to try and attack only for him to quickly dodge, sending him into a guard that had followed Dae out. Only now had I realized just how many people were starting to watch. Dae had brought out almost ten guards with him, all of them set to arrest the three at even the slightest inconvenience. 

“Miss Starwell, I appreciate your need for adventure, but as a princess you can’t be running off like this!” 

“Who are you to tell me anything? We aren’t even married yet!” I spat, glaring at Dae as Tim gently grasped my arm, not wanting me to get swept up like Alex and Ryder just did. We had to be calm and collected in hopes of keeping them out of jail. 

“I am highly aware of that princess,” He pauses, tossing Ryder from over his shoulder and into a random guards arms, forcing her to struggle with him instead. “But from what your father has told me, it would be better for me to start taking control now so you don’t have to worry your pretty little head about leading any time soon.” He says, patting me on the head in a way that made me feel like a child. Maybe he was right. Maybe I am just a child. But, that doesn’t give him the right to treat me like one. 

“Listen Dae you son of a-” Dae cut me off with a small clicking of his tongue as he gripped my chin a bit too roughly. 

“Ah ah ah. A pretty princess like you doesn’t need to speak.” 

“Okay listen here you do not get to just-” Tim tries to stand up for me but as soon as he steps forward, two guards seize him by the arms, causing Dae to smirk at the sight. 

I could see the power hungry look in his eyes as he watched the three Devil Town citizens struggle in the arms of their captors. 

“Take them away.” He ordered casually, causing an uproar of chaos from the group. 

Ryder, Alex and Tim fought all they could, falling into a cycle of escaping for a mere moment or two only to be snatched up again as more and more guards started to file out, making it even harder for the three to get away. I could hear Ryder spitting hateful, inappropriate words like a fountain as she fought with all her might and even that wasn’t enough and soon enough they seemed to be ready to give up. 

I felt like I was watching from behind a bulletproof glass and I couldn’t do anything. 

I listened as their voices called my name, pleading for help of any kind. 

I caught Ryder’s eyes as she struggled. She looked so panicked. I could see her pleading with me for help but what could I do? I can’t even lead my own kingdom. That’s why we were in this situation in the first place! If I had just stepped up like I was supposed to, maybe I wouldn’t have even had to run away. If I just tried to fit in here and follow the duties I knew I had, none of us would be here right now. 

“What in the world is going on out here?!” I heard my father’s proper voice shout at us, only furthering the chaos. 

Chatter came from the people as they watched my mother and father try to converse with Dae. They tried to listen to his wild explanation of how Ryder, Tim and Alex tried to kidnap me, which of course caused the three of them to shout in protest, fighting against the heavily armed guards. 

The chaos was just too much. 

I tried to tell everyone to stop. I tried to raise my voice but something was holding me back. 

I’ve always been taught to hold my tongue. I was always taught to watch what I said and what I did. I was a lady. I couldn’t be violent or vulgar but I couldn’t sound young and naive either. I had to pretend I knew things I didn’t while also hiding any and all opinions in fear of causing mayhem among our people who agreed and disagreed. I was never taught to just be myself. Well, that is until I got to Devil town. That was all they ever told me to do. 

“Ryder, I’m not too sure about this. What if they don’t like me? I’ve never baked before. What do I tell them?!” I had asked. 

“Tell them just that! Don’t sweat it so much, Allana. Just be yourself.” Ryder had told me. 

And surprisingly it had worked. The family that owned the bakery had no problem helping me learn my way around and teaching me techniques when decorating cakes and slicing bread and things like that. Although I didn’t have much to talk about, they were all very kind and said they would love to have me around more often. 

That’s all it took to make friends down there. Such a simple sounding task with such amazing results. 

I guess I should do that now. Now is not the time to go speechless. I can’t be silenced anymore. I won’t be silenced. 

I glanced around from the spot I was in, spotting the rows of rocks lining the edge of the house, resting atop the bright green grass. 

I quickly ran around the large group of guards undetected before picking one up. 

They were heavy, very heavy. But, a week or two of working in Devil Town really helps build some muscle. 

I glanced into the glass at the people, chattering about as they watched the mayhem that was currently taking place outside. Some even rushed outside to get a closer look. Nosy people, I swear. 

I took a deep breath as I stared at the glass, seeing my own reflection in it from the streetlamps outside. 

“Sorry, father.” I muttered to myself before I threw the rock into the glass window, stumbling back as the tall glass window came tumbling down, followed by a terribly loud shattering sound. 

That sound caused a few gasps but luckily was enough to silence everyone. 

“Allana!” My father called. It seemed like it was supposed to sound like a scold but came out more shocked and confused. 

I sighed as I proudly strutted over to my mother and father. 

“I’m sorry, Father.” I sighed, bowing my head for a moment before looking up at him again. “Dae lied. They weren’t trying to kidnap me.” I said, keeping my voice steady. I did feel a tad bit anxious. Everyone was watching me. This was it. If I mess up now then that’s all anyone will ever think of me. I can not and will not mess up here. 

“If they weren’t trying to kidnap you then why are we in this situation right now?” He asked. I could hear minor irritation in his voice but he was patient with me. He always was. 

“I… I was running away...again.” I lightly chuckled. 

“Running away!?” My mother interjected, adjusting the shawl around her shoulders as she stepped closer. 

“Allana, what is there to run away from? Your home is here!” She said, giving me a harsh, punishing look. She did not seem to like the idea of me running off. 

“I know and this will always be my home! But, I just don’t belong here. I don’t think I ever have.” I sighed. Something about this felt odd but relieving still. I hadn’t even completely told my feelings about this with my friends. They never pushed it out of me so I never said it. 

“Of course you do-” My father tried to say before my mother interrupted again. 

“You’re being ridiculous, Allana. You have everything you could possibly want here! All the money and food you could want! Everybody adores you! You have this ginormous house and all these beautiful gowns and that just isn’t enough for you is it!?” She shouted. The longer she spoke, the more anger I felt bubbling up inside me. 

I won’t be silenced. 

“It’s all wonderful but this isn’t what I want! This is never what I asked for! I never asked for all these people to ‘adore me’!” I shouted, motioning towards the crowds. 

“I never asked for this house!” I continued, motioning towards the tall mansion. 

“And I definitely never asked for all these gowns!” I finished, grabbing the fabric of the skirt around my waist and tugging harshly, listening to the loud ripping sound as I tore off the top couple layers of fabric, leaving it as a simple two layer skirt instead of the large piece it once was. 

I glanced around as I listened to the gasps, catching Ryder’s eyes as I glanced around. I could see her smiling. She looked so proud of whatever I just did. I couldn’t help but smile back before turning to my mother and father again. 

“Ugh you are such an ungrateful child, Allana! Your father does so much and you get everything, everything you could possibly ever want and yet you don’t want it!? You are just so-” This time, my father interrupts her. 

“That is quite enough, Selena!” My father said, his voice was the most aggressive I think i’ve ever heard it. 

I watched as my mother roll her eyes dramatically before turning to face my father, 

“Let me handle this and I will deal with you later.” He said, keeping his voice as low as possible. 

She went to speak but he quickly raised his hand to silence her, earning a growl from her before she stepped away, crossing her arms tightly across her chest. 

Even Selena knew she couldn’t stand up to my father. Even if he wouldn’t ever hurt her, he could do other things and she wouldn’t risk that. 

He took a deep breath before turning to me again, making me tense a bit. 

My father grabs my hands and sighs as he examines them, seemingly thinking over his words. 

“Is this what you really want, Allana?” He asked, his voice soft again. 

I slowly nodded. 

He sighed as he squeezed them tightly. 

“Alright.” 

“Wait, really?!” I asked, shocked by his compliance. 

“Yes. Although the thought of you down there with…” He paused, looking over my shoulder to stare at the three still trapped by the guards before making eye contact with me once again. “Them makes me nervous, I just want you to be happy, my dear.” He sighed, tucking a strand of my messily cut hair behind my ear. 

I sighed and smiled up at him. 

“Thank you, Father.” I sighed before jumping forward and hugging him tightly, smiling as he hugged me back. This was probably the first hug we’ve given each other in years. 

He pulled away to plant a sweet kiss on my forehead before looking at the guards. 

He made a swift motion with his hand, causing the armored men to release the other three. 

They stumbled out of their reach, standing close behind me.

My father made another motion, forcing them to step closer, each of them standing nice and tall to show respect. 

“You promise me you’re gonna keep her safe down there.” He said, making me blush a bit. 

“Dad!” I giggled, lightly covering my face as I stood next to him. 

“What?!” He asked, trying not to smile too much. 

I listened to the giggles that came from my friends before Ryder placed her hand over her heart. 

“I promise you. We will keep her safe and we won’t keep her forever. I’ll make sure she comes to visit sometime.” She said, throwing me a small smile. 

“Alright. I guess that’s all I could really ask for.” He sighed. 

“But Sir, are you sure this is really-” Dae tried to convince me otherwise but before he could finish I stepped in front of Dae. 

“Hey, Dae” I said, smiling at him sweetly, watching as he looks at me with confusion as I gently grab his face and make him look down towards me a bit more. 

I could hear the confused mutters behind me from my friends as they watched. 

Once I saw him relax a tad bit, I took advantage and harshly slapped him across the face. Not exactly necessary, but definitely needed for myself. 

“Don’t ever touch me again and don’t for one minute think that you’ll ever rule Saint City.” I said, smirking at his offended face before turning to face my friends. 

Cheers came from the three of them as I giggled. Even my father seemed pretty impressed with me. 

I felt a tap on my shoulder and quickly turned. 

Erika and BB looked back at me, smiling brightly. 

I sighed as I hugged them as tight as I could. 

“We’re so proud of you!” Erika squealed. “I can’t believe you actually did that, that was amazing!” 

I giggled at the excitement in his voice before looking up at BB. 

“That was amazing, Allana.” She hummed. 

“I’m just sad we have to say goodbye again.” Erika sighed, crossing her arms across her chest with a small pout. 

I sighed and nodded. I would miss them a whole bunch. 

There was a bit of silence between us before I heard someone clear their throat behind us. 

“Well actually,” Ryder spoke, “If Stephan-er-” She paused before clearing her throat again. “Mr. Starwell could update the connection between us and Devil Town as well as add some more technology, we could keep in touch more often.” She suggested, plastering on a pleading smile as she stared up at my dad. 

He smiled a bit at her. 

“That’s actually a wonderful idea. I’ll make sure to get to that soon.” He said, causing a muttered ‘Yes!’ from Ryder. 

Erika cheered and hugged me again. 

“Once that’s set up, I’ll make sure we get connected and we’ll talk everyday!” Erika giggled. 

“Of course.” I giggled. Suddenly, I remembered something. 

“BB, I have a favor to ask of you.” I said to her. 

“Yeah, of course. What is it?” She asked. 

At that exact moment, Snow bounded over, hopping around our feet happily. 

“I need someone to watch Snow while I’m gone. I don’t think he can instantly move down into Devil Town with me but I don’t know who else could take care of him up here. Could you watch him for me?” I asked, kneeling down to ruffle up his fur. 

BB smiled, adjusting the placement of the slit in her dress as she kneeled down as well and pet him, smiling as Snow instantly curled into her touch. 

“Of course I will.” She chuckled. 

I nodded before gently planting a kiss on Snow’s forehead. 

“I’m leaving again, bud.” I whispered to him, giggling slightly at his whine. 

“I know. But, you can visit me and I’ll come visit you! And you’ll be with BB. You love BB, remember?” I smiled at him. 

“I promise I’ll see you whenever I can.” I promised him, giggling as he licked my face. 

I stood up and walked over to my friends again. 

“You ready to go?” Ryder asked.

I took a deep breath and a glance around the large area. 

I would miss this place a bit. But, I knew where I belonged. 

With that I turned to face her and nodded. 

“Ready.” 

“Alright.” She said calmly before smirking. 

“Then what are we waiting for!? Let’s get going!” She cheered, running off with Alex and Tim. They whooped and hollered as they ran off to the ship. 

I sighed and gave my father one last hug before turning and running off with them. 


	16. Epilogue

“Hey Allana!” Tim called, lightly knocking on her bedroom door and leaning in.   
“Yeah?” She asked, raising her head from it’s position on her hand to face him.   
“Ryder’s ready for you. Ready to go?” He asked, adjusting the folds of his flannel sleeves.   
“Yep! I’ll be out in a minute.” She returned, watching as he left before looking down at her computer again.   
“Sorry, Erika. Duty calls.” She chuckled.   
“Yeah yeah I get it. You gotta work. I guess I should probably be doing that too, huh?” She says, laughing.   
“I’ll call you later. Bye! Love ya!” She said, blowing her a kiss before hanging up and hopping off her bed.   
Allana turned off the lights as she rushed out, happy to see Ryder waiting out front the apothecary, playfully wrestling with Alex.   
“There she is!” Alex called.   
“Ah indeed there she is.” Ryder giggled.  
“You ready for work today?” She asked, crossing her arms.   
“Yep! What are we doing today?” Allana asked, shrugging on her jacket.   
Ryder smirked as Alex tossed her some gloves.   
“We’re helping the boys with some run down cars and you are gonna help me. So, let’s get going.” She chuckled.   
The thought of getting covered in oil both disgusted Allana and excited her. She was happy to learn something new.  
“Last one there has to deal with cleaning up afterwards!” Ryder called as she started running, her scuffed boots sending dust up behind her.  
“Hey! Not fair! You were already way ahead!” Allana called as she ran after her.   
Tim laughed as he got back to work in the Apothecary, his tall birds hopping around the couches.   
Just another day in Devil Town.   


The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading the first book of my Tridania trilogy!! Look out for the sequel coming out eventually. That one won't be posted all at once like this one btw!!


End file.
